Hero's Path
by Servant Ruler
Summary: In his quest to find a way to save 'himself', Shirou is reincarnated into another world. A world where the gods still walk the earth, a world where Devil Kings rule, a world that is about to descend into chaos with his arrival.
1. Forged in Fire & Blood(End of an Era)

I put the A.N. below.

Tag: Harem, fantasy, mature, violence, adventure

Forgot to put this up... Should have done this a long time ago...Oh, and I don't advice reading this in one sitting. That's according to a review.

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Disclaimer: I own nothing just the plot for this story.

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 **Prologue**

My head was hurting again. Probably a side effect of the trials we had been doing before the official ritual.

The magical ritual to reincarnate me into another world that is.

Why you ask?

Why would I want to leave all my loved ones, my wives and my children, to go another world? The answer was simple really. To me that is.

It was to save someone.

I woke up from the futon, shaking myself to gain some semblance of control over my sleep-addled brain.

Lucky for me, my wives have been giving me space to prepare myself so I slept alone last night, or I wouldn't have been able to wake up. The digital clock on the wall indicated time at 4:34 AM.

We would be starting the ritual at exactly 6:57 AM. I don't know why the specific time but, that's what Rin told me. I trust Rin. We were married for at least 45 years now. And she's still as devious and sharp as she was or more so. But I think the ritual had to be done at that time because according to her calculations, that would be the exact time that the factors would align.

I headed straight to the bathroom to wash my face to rid myself of the remaining sleep. The sun was still not up. It was still dark outside. The cold morning air entered through the open window. Even with the advancement of technology, some places in the world have remained untouched.

The cold water took off my remaining drowsiness. The face staring at me as I stared back at the mirror was familiar. It was the same face of the man who had asked me to save him.

A white haired man with grey eyes, dark tan and a piercing gaze. Yup.

I look like Archer now.

My aging stopped when I was in my mid twenties. I was able to keep myself up to shape, combining with my job and all the minimal regimen I adhered to, my body was quite at tip top shape. Rin said my aging may have stopped because of Avalon or maybe it was another side effect of my Unlimited Bladeworks.

Rin was not so sure on Avalon though saying without Saber it should not even be able to work.

Saber. The person who I learned from, to never waver from my ideals as she had also learned from me. What would have happened had I just ask her to stay. No. I couldn't do that. That would be stepping on her pride, on her beliefs. I respect her ideals as much as she respects mine.

I almost let regret take over me.

 _Steel is my body_

 _And fire is my blood_

I reaffirm my resolve by chanting parts of my aria.

 _This is the only path._

Clothes had been prepared for me as I returned from the bathroom. Probably one of Illya's homunculi servants, maybe Sella. I wear a mystic code, the tailored and recolorred to black version of Archer's holy shroud coat over dark blue body armor. The trousers are of the same color, attached to my brown metal plated shoes.

This last week has been hard on the entire family. Goodbyes were said. Preparations were made.

The ritual has been delayed for as long as they could but they knew that they could not stop me.

Refusing to save someone was the same as me denying who I am.

A knock on my door alerted me. A soft feminine voice could be heard outside the door.

"Shirou, we're starting the preparations."

"I'm coming out in a minute Aoko."

That woman, who is also known in most magical circles as 'The Blue, is my second wife. I don't know how she fell in love with me. I don't know what she saw in me but, stuff happened.

We met when I wanted to ask her for a favor. It was for my goal, to somehow break Archer's contract with Alaya. Our first meeting might have left quite an impression on her. After that, she used the favor I owed to treat her to a date.

She wasn't quite as scary as the rumors told her to be.

"Onii-chan."

I looked ahead to see Illya waiting for me. She was wearing a light blue frilled skirt and a red shirt with the logo of her newest favorite anime on it. She bit her lip before continuing.

"Do you... do you really have to go?"

Illya looks up at me with teary eyes. By the Root, this was one reason I was delayed for so long. I sigh heavily as I kneel down and place my hand on Illya's head.

"You know now is the best time for me to go. My control can only last for so long."

I am dying or technically speaking turning into an undead. This was one of the reasons I wanted to conduct the ritual early. During one of my missions for the Clock Tower, I had encountered a rather difficult opponent. A philosopher, someone that even the Clock Tower had deemed worthy of a sealing designate.

The magus had been researching on Dead Apostles, one of the top reasons for a sealing designation.

Some... something was left inside me after our battle. After the magus was cornered, he had turned himself into a 15-feet disgustingly obscene mass of writhing decayed flesh. I got careless. He had been able to pierce me through the heart with one his multiple appendages.

I was somehow able to survive. As well as being able to incinerate the bastard by sticking a mystic code down his mouth when he tried to eat me.

It was unnoticeable at first but as the years went by, the effects were starting to show. I was slowly turning into a Dead Apostle. It was not the Clock Tower I feared, but myself. My self control was losing. It was only a matter of time before the urge to consume and spill blood could take me.

Illya looked at met once more before closing her eyes and hardening her resolve. Her mature persona took over.

"I wish you the best of luck then Shirou. Don't forget everything I've told you about last night ok? And don't you dare forget about me, or I'll just might find a way to punish you if you do."

"Yes ma'am."

I stood up straight and did a mock salute. That returned a smile to her face.

"Let's go then. Rin's waiting for you at the Shrine."

No others words needed to be said.

Aoko was at the door. Her brown hair was tied in a bun. She was wearing a black sweater that hugged her modest form as well as gray jogging pants. She had a red scarf wrapped around her neck with the end going down her back. I could see the repressed emotions in her eyes.

"The children are still asleep?"

"Yes."

I opened my mouth to apologize to her but she put a finger to my lips.

"Shhh. Haven't I told you to never say sorry to me again." She tries to act tough, I see right through her. She was the kind of person to wear her emotions on her sleeves. I hated myself, but I couldn't deny myself either. I couldn't throw away my ideals or I'll become someone like that cynical Counter Guardian I'm trying to save.

She kisses me lightly on the lips.

"Thank you. Thank you for everything. I can't thank you all enough for being here for me. I would have lost myself to my path if it weren't for all of you..."

"You're welcome Shirou. And I don't want you to feel sorry for yourself. I married you knowing what kind of idiot you were after all. Don't regret anything, cause I don't."

I could see tears forming at the edge of her eyes. Maybe it was resignation, maybe it was her magus persona but she understood me. I looked at her beautiful face once more.

"Go, before the kids wake up and see you. It wouldn't do for you to falter before your journey's even begun Shirou."

So I went. Some would consider this as being cold, but this was her way of supporting my decision. I thank whatever God is out there for giving me a loving and caring family. Even if I was not able to fully reciprocate the said family's love back. Before the door closed, I could hear my youngest daughter's voice.

"Mama, where is Papa going?"

My heart clenched. I almost stumbled. I let a single tear slip down my eyes.

I'm sorry Miyuki-chan... I hope one day you can find it in you to forgive this useless father's foolish dream. What a worthless father I've been. It really was unfair of me to be doing this.

I could hear my wife's voice silently recite a hypnotism spell.

I went out the door, repeating a part of my aria as I stepped out the gate. Illya was waiting outside, there was a faint blush on her cheeks. I don't get it, but she somehow likes Aoko the most out of my wives. They've been able to develop a friendship over the years, one I was particularly happy for.

I start walking again as I closed the gate. My older daughters would probably be able to take care of themselves. I worry for my youngest child. Miyuki was a... an accident. I didn't want to leave a clueless child who was not able to fully get the love she deserved from her father. But well, a drink and a few months of repressed sexual frustrations could do things...

My emotions were numbed as I kept repeating the same words.

 _There is no regret_

As we walked slowly through town, I couldn't help but feel a little bit of loneliness. This might as well be the last time I see this place. With most of the neighborhood still asleep, we quietly made our way to Ryuudo Temple.

The cold air turned my breath into vapors. The sky was colored red, with thin clouds hanging in the sky. It was a beautiful sight. One I would miss dearly.

I took my jacket and draped it over Illya's shoulders. She looked up at me but said nothing. We trudged on again in silence, and it was killing me a little on the inside.

On the base of the steps of the path leading to the Shrine was Sakura. This wasn't much of a surprise to me. Even with me marrying Rin, my friendship with Sakura was still strong. She had a bit of a crush on me during our High School days which I was too thick headed for to notice back then.

She was still as beautiful if not more than before, like Rin her aging had been slowed. She looked quite the mature beauty. Perks of being a magus I guess. Even though she wasn't willing to become a magus, Sakura can be quite tenacious when she puts her mind into something. She's been acting odd lately though. I just hope she'd be alright.

She was wearing a purple sleeved pink modest kimono with flower designs, it was held in place by a matching obi of the same design.

Her eyes that should have looked more alive than I was used to seeing after the Holy Grail War, had returned to that almost blank look. This was one of the reasons I didn't want to involve her in my personal quest.

"Good morning Sakura."

"Good morning Senpai."

I give her a deadpan look. She notices it but just smiles faintly. Even after all this years she still wouldn't stop calling me that. I mentioned it to her in the past but she just said it was her own nickname for me. It would have been endearing if only Rin wouldn't stop teasing me about it.

"Rin's at the temple, she's been checking and rechecking everything. I can't tell if she's anxious or just nervous."

"Thanks again for all the help you've been giving. I know you don't want to involve yourself to anything related to magecraft but you were a great help with everything."

"It's not yet time to thank me Senpai. You might want to save your thanks when you're sure we are successful."

"Eh." I scratched the back of my head."I might not be able to thank you after the ritual you know."

Sakura just gazes back at me with a mysterious smile.

"Who knows..."

I was pretty sure I wasn't supposed to hear that.

"Anyway have you, checked up with Zelretch-sensei. He told me to ask you if you had 'gone to the church' when I'd be meeting you. I didn't get what that was supposed to mean. He just told me you'd get a present if you solved it, or if someone solved it for you."

My muscles tensed as I heard those words. They were one of the few variations for a warning from the codes used by Executors. It meant be careful. It might also mean tread carefully in the unknown territory.

'Be careful of what?'

Oh well maybe it was one that old codgers pranks again. Or maybe it was his way of saying goodbye. I don't think it's me he cares about but rather his entertainment. Damn insanely powerful immortals with too much time in their hands. It's still better to take the advice to heart. You never know.

It's better to be ready for whatever it is.

He also still owes me quite a few favors for doing some unsavory 'errands' that he was too lazy to attend to. Though I was just quite happy to help. I just find it hard to believe how many times he had somehow lost one of his 'possibly dangerous toys' leaving it in the wrong hands.

In wrong hands, those 'possibly dangerous toys' turn into powerful tools of mass destruction and mayhem.

Who knows what that old prankster's thinking.

It's probably got something to do with what he finds interesting. I just hope it's not about me.

"Well, I did. Ortensia-san had been quite happy to see me." I reply to Sakura.

"Oh." Sakura looks at me suspiciously. Damn she's sharp.

"Illya, want me to carry you?" I offer to Illya. They had all been acting strange recently. Or was it just me.

"I can walk by myself onii-chan!" Well that's new, she seemed to be a bit embarrassed by it. Has she finally grown out of her childishness? She would happily let me carry whenever she had the chance. So I don't think so. It's not that I don't expect Illya to throw away that persona. Since it might be an effect of being stuck in a child like body for waaaay too long.

She ran ahead of me to the top of the stairs leading to the temple.

As we got to the top, we were greeted by the sight of Rin kneeling on the ground looking at the inscribed runes.

There were runes imprinted on the ground forming a circle. Inside the circle was a pentagram also formed of archaic symbols. She was at the center of it.

She was wearing her trademark red sweater with a cross on the front a dark blue skirt that reached past her knee-socks covered thighs.

"What took you so long?" She seemed a bit irritated with dark circles under her eyes.

"Relax Rin." I try to placate her. "Your just putting more pressure on yourself. Everything will be fine. You'll make more mistakes panicking like that. I checked out most of the inscription yesterday. There's nothing wrong."

"We'll what do you know, since when did you more about something than me."

Rin breathed out. It's unusual for her to be panicking like this. Rin looks at me and opens her mouth.

"Ah- I'll be with Illya behind the first shrine." Sakura excuses herself. Probably reading the mood, I silently thank her. She drags a squirming Illya with her.

With her sister out of earshot, Rin's gaze softens a bit.

"So I failed huh... I wasn't able to keep you from following that stupid beautiful dream of yours."

"You don't call something both stupid and beautiful you know."

Her mouth forms a wry grin.

"Yes, you failed. But you did the next best thing though, you saved me from destroying myself. Even now you're helping me save myself."

"I promised him you know... that I'd look after you."

"Well technically you promised _me_ to care of _me_. But of course you'd do that, cause you're a big softie on the inside." Rin blushes and punches my arm before looking away. "And that's one of the reasons I love with you. Thank you for everything."

Rin's blush intensifies. I lean closer to her and capture her lips in mine. Her breath smells like peppermint. I want to say she knew what I was gonna do, but better keep that to myself. Aside from breaking the moment if I said that and earning myself a Gandr in the ass, it would be stupid of me. I slip my tongue into her mouth as she gives me access.

We make out a bit before we separated with flushed breaths.

"So this is goodbye eh." I see a reflection of myself in her deep blue eyes. "So... keep yourself safe Shirou, I won't be there to take care of your sorry ass if you get into trouble. Keep yourself safe. I know it's stupid to say this but please keep your saving at a minimum. And... And I love you too."

I smile at her confession. This was one of rare moments she'd say that.

She leans into me to initiate a kiss but-

"Onii-chan!"

Illya barges into our moment. Rin seems a bit irritated.

"We'll begin in twenty minutes. If you got anything to say to him make it quick." Rin pointedly glares at Illya as she spoke.

Illya seems ignores it.

"What is it Illya?"

"I-I also love you. Lots and lots."

"You were spying on us!?" Rin twitches as her glare intensifies.

Illya replies to her without denying her accusation.

"Of course. It is the duty of the elder sister to protect his younger brother from your dirty clutches you know." Illya states in a matter of fact manner.

"Your younger brother who is also my husband is mature enough to think for himself, also what do you mean by my dirty clutches. He's already mine you know." Rin seemed to have realized her mistake as she blushes and stutters. Illya continues her onslaught gleefully.

Ah, here we go again. More than fifty years of living together and they are still able to find a way into each other's nerves without even trying.

"Aren't you going to stop them? They might hurt each other you know."

They had stopped bickering and had started throwing threats.

"And risk getting caught in the crossfire. I've learned my lessons you know."

"So it seems Senpai." Okay, something is really strange about Sakura.

She's giving me that eerie look again.

I decide to break the fight before it gets any worse and prepare for the ritual. Their bickering seemed to have lightened everyone's mood, even mine.

As the sun peeked on the horizon, Rin begins the incantation. The writing on the ground glows a hue of blue and white.

 _"Weg des Lichts erreichen die Elemente des Aufstiegs_

 _(Lightway reach the elements of ascension)_

 _Elevevate der Körper der Stars und Himmel_

 _(Elevevate the body of the stars and heavens)_

 _Die Kanäle an der astrale Domäne öffnen_

 _(Open the channels to the astral domain)_

 _Undayla miscefor"_

The light intensifies as a third shape forms over the pentagram. It was a triangle that was writing itself on the floor. It was also formed by archaic symbols.

 _"_ _Erreicht der Reich von Möglichkeiten_

 _(Reaches of the Realm of Possibilities)_

 _Durch die wilden Tiere auf Alaya bewacht_

 _(Guarded by the Beasts of Alaya)_

 _Die weiten Gebiete von Gaia begrenzt_

 _(Bounded to the vast territories of Gaia)_

 _ _Mir Passage in der Akasha__

 _(Provide me passage into Akasha)"_

Our aim was not to touch Akasha but to somehow use it as a power source with the help of the modified grail. A fourth shaped forms over the other symbols. Another triangle, but this time the light it was releasing was an ominous blood red.

 _"_ _Hell leuchtende der astralen Nacht_

 _(Brightly glowing the astral night)_

 _Zeigen Sie mir das Dämmern der dimensionalen Kluft_

 _(Show me the dawning to the dimensional gap)_

 _Mich zu dessen Energie heben_

 _(Lift me to its drawing energy)_

 _Ein Weg in die Leere öffnen_

 _(Open a path into the Void)"_

With the last lines the lights turn to purple and then white as a pillar of light blinded me into seeing anything else. Then everything went black.

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Ivan Slavinski knew things were about to go south. He knew the situation was worsening somehow. But he didn't expect things to go south so fast he could see the penguins no pun intended. When the nearby zoo had an animal outbreak, they were panicking.

Animals had very sharp instincts. They could sense what humans could not. This, added to the report that there was a Divine Ancestor lurking in the area made the magicians who were sent to control the situation, out of their damn wits.

Ivan was the temporarily assigned leader of the mages because of his experience, not that they would trust a stranger but he was a powerful mage with a famous name. He, as one of the more powerful mages in the world had a self imposed responsibility. It was what his adopted father would have done.

To have power was both a blessing and a burden.

His father would have helped this people even without any reason.

He had been in the area when he heard the news from a colleague.

They immediately began evacuation of the villages near the area. It was unknown but it seemed a heretic god may descend on the area soon. There were signs of course. But it was unknown if it was true. They could try to ask assistance from Marquis Voban, the Campione of the Balkans, for assistance. But that was of course only if they were sure the heretic god really was there.

Ivan, like most people who had the bare knowledge of magic, feared the Campiones. The only beings able to be a match against the gods. Campiones were humans who have slain Heretic Gods and taken their Authority for themselves. Heretic Gods are gods, heroes, and divine monsters who have stepped out of myth and legends to manifest into the world endangering people.

When a heretic god manifests, it would often affect the populace depending on what gods they are. A god related to the sun can increase the sun heat so much that people may die of the heat or a god of storms would bring heavy rains and thunder clouds flooding the area, destroying properties.

Ivan walked towards the edge of the tallest building in the area. He would have made quite an intimidating sight if he wasn't wearing a terrible(according to his companions) hawaiian polo shirt and black slacks. He had a large body and muscled build, one you would likely see on wrestles. His brown eyes scanned the area, his thick eyebrows twitching. His face was unshaven with short uneven bristles on his square jaws and just below his large nose. A scar ran down his left cheek to his neck.

"Most of the people have been evacuated, just a few villages down south have not yet been reached."One the mages informed him. With their uniformed appearance, wearing dark business suits and formal clothes, they looked like members of the mafia.

"Has the witch arrived yet?" , Ivan asked with his heavily accented Italian.

The man's radio phone started emitting static before he could reply. For Re-Edit

"Pick it up."

He waited as he listened to the call.

"The Divine Ancestor is in a village south of here, a few miles east of Mt. Vesuvius. They said she was looking for the god of steel. The witch is also their trying to talk with the Divine Ancestor."

"Go prepare a car! Were going south!"

Ivan could hear his subordinate replying.

"Team Delta, we're heading south right now. Try to hold out before we get there. Over and out."

Did he just jinx himself? Damn.

Oh yes, things were heading south. Just hope things wouldn't get so far south they'd circle back north.

Things really were heading south if the Divine Ancestor revealed herself. When was he ever getting another chance of a vacation in a beach with this kind of things happening. And gods be damned if his next designation was cold Siberia in Russia.

Could things get any worse. Could it? Oh. Oh in the name of the seven hells no. By Zeus electric balls! Was he trying to jinx himself? He wouldn't want to tempt fate. But he already damned did.

As their car screeched down the bumpy dirt road, they could hear the sounds of battle even from afar. Ivan was worried, his friend would probably be able to hold off the Divine Ancestor. But even she, the strongest witch on earth could not match a divinity. Damn it!

That witch better not die on him, she still hadn't paid what she owed him. Plus the interest. And a bottle of Iordanov Vodka, that was one damn expensive brand. She even forgot to return the book he loaned to her. As Ivan continued cursing and worrying, he felt a surge of energy building up in the village. Even if he was not particularly talented in spell casting relying more on his swordsmanship, experience, instincts and guts, he was sensitive to magic. It manifested to some like a building pressure on his skin or on his mind. And right now he was feeling a mountain weighing down on his senses.

"Get do-"

It all happened too fast. The car was pushed sideways from the force of an explosion overturning it towards a tree. Ivan could feel his body getting thrown around the car. The car stopped turning. He was dizzy. It took him a few more moments to regain his composure. He fell downwards as he took his seatbelts off. The car was overturned. He looked towards his companion. What was his name again? Gellato? Mullato? Potato? He knew it just ended with 'ato'. Oh well, just wake him up and ask his name later.

"Get up comrade." He crawled towards the driver and shook him. The driver didn't wake up. Ivan took a finger to the unconscious man's pulse. He's dead. Another casualty. There were better things to worry about on a battlefield than deadmen. Namely himself, the gas was leaking and he had to get out fast if didn't want to be roasted. If the car exploded. He crawled on all fours out of the car, kicking the window to break it open.

Just after getting a few meters away from the burning car, it exploded sending sharp object lodged in his back. By the gods, that hurt! He was sent flying forwards. There were pieces of glass and shrapnel stuck on his back. He'd worry about that later. He needed to get to the village.

The sight that welcomed him was hell. He struggled onwards to look for survivors. There were people sprawled everywhere. Some had burns on them, while others were unconscious. More were probably dead. As he walked towards a seemingly still breathing man-

"Ivan!" A sharp feminine voice called out to him.

It was Lucretia Zola, the Witch of Sardinia, sitting on the ground with a few bruises on her visible skin. She was a beautiful woman who looked like she was in her mid to late twenties. She was wearing a long sleeved white shirt that had a few tears but were still decent, her breast with straining against the clothes. She had blue jeans that reached past her knees.

"You all right."

"If I wasn't, I wouldn't be talking to you right now. Help me get up."

"Well if you're still kicking to be yelling then I'd guess I got nothing to worry about. Let's get you out of here. We'll have to move fast, if I want to find survivors, not corpses." He beat back a grimace.

The fire was starting to consume the houses. Several screams could be heard over the crackling of burning wood.

"Let me go with you."

"Now look here woman! You need to get some rest, you are just going to be burden if-"

"I can take care of myself child. And it's not me you should be worrying but yourself. You're wounded. Yet you still insist being a hero. Talk about being a hypocrite."

Ivan deflated, he couldn't argue with her if she played that card.

"Fine, just be sure to stay close."

Lucretia walk behind his back and places a palm on his wound. She uttered a minor healing spell to at least stop the bleeding, she knew he wouldn't die of those wounds anyway. She had seen him survive worse things than this.

"Let's go."

An exhausting hour later, they moved towards the center of the fire with Ivan leading while holding a strange diamond shaped talisman. It was a magical tool that could be used to find a safe path and warded off most of the heat from the surroundings. It was his last gift from his adopted father before he died. It was quite useful.

The disgusting stench of burning flesh was wafting through the air. The heat was suffocating. Combined with the thickening smoke, it was getting harder to move forward.

He had to look out more, if there was ever one more victim trapped in the fire. His steps were firm as they weaved through the burning labyrinth of crumbling buildings and abandoned vehicles. It was his fault. If he had been here sooner... if only...

He remembered his adopted fathers face. He gritted his teeth. Anger and sorrow could be seen on his face.

There were other victims, but they were too deep into the fire. He couldn't save them, even if he tried they were already dead . They could not be saved. The fire was of magical source. Ivan was sure of it.

The people who were in the fire didn't die so fast. No. They were burning too slowly. They were dying one agonizing death. It was like the flames of purgatory. It tortured the people caught in the flames, their agony and despair fueling the fire to burn. He wanted to save them. They cried out to him. But he couldn't do anything. He had to look away from those who couldn't be saved and find those who could. Those who weren't too far into the flames or those who were somehow still alive.

The anguished pleas could be heard inside some of the buildings. There were people trapped inside the houses that were screaming. There were people praying to the gods for salvation.

It was hell on earth. If Ivan believed in a god, fortunately/unfortunately he didn't, he would have cursed that god at that moment.

The scene before him looked familiar. It was a reminder of his weakness.

He had to look...

To find someone who could be saved. As they walked towards where the explosion had originated, they were greeted by a peculiar sight. It was a child lying on the ground.

Ivan could see the child's chest slowly rise and fall.

The boy was alive. But barely. Burns and scorch marks could be seen on his face and parts of his exposed body. He approached the boy at a half jog.

If Ivan had only looked more closely, he could have noticed something was odd. But all that mattered was the child. The boy was alive. He would live. Ivan would make sure of it.

-0-

* * *

 **Chapter 1**

The world was burning again.

 _Again?_

The scene was reminiscent of something from a dream. The vivid memory of another place and another time was overlapping with the current scenario.

Any normal person would feel disgust, pity and horror at the sight. Buildings were burning to the ground. The occasional screams of pain and agony echoed in the area as corpses fueled the fire.

People could be seen trying to escape from the fire. But it was all in vain. The fire was unnatural. It was as hot the center of an active volcano. Vehicles exploded as the fire reached the gas tanks. Even concrete was melting from the heat of the flames. Most of the buildings had already fallen over.

The fire had a strange stench of sulfur and ash. And magical energy...

 _Where am I? What's happening?_

A red headed child was lying on the pavement at the heart of the blaze. Strangely enough, the fire wouldn't advance within a few meters of him. Inside the encirclement, the heat could not be felt. A faint red glimmer of a circle could be seen on the ground protecting the occupant.

The child was naked as a newborn. It was a boy with oriental features, western asian. He had an empty look in his eyes that would unnerve anyone who would look directly into those golden amber orbs.

His head hurt, his magic circuits were burning.

This was even worse than one of Rin's Gandr spells.

 _Huh?_

 _Who's Rin?_

He knew that name somehow.

 _Ugh, why can't I remember anything._

He tries to sit up but his body won't move. Was it paralysis?

That was when the memories came flooding to him. It hit like a ton of bricks with the speed and power of a truck going 70 miles per hour. Then came the headache, his head felt like bursting. Memories that he was sure were not his own came to him. This was similar to the way he received Archer's memories.

The memories didn't make any sense. It was like seeing his life play out with different choices and circumstances happening. And it was giving him the mother of all headaches.

 _Who am I?_

Every nerve in his body was burning. It would be pure bliss to just pass out, but it seemed he wouldn't have that luxury.

 _I..._

 _I am..._

 _Emiya Shirou. The Iron Wrought Hero, Ally of Justice, Master of Saber, Apprentice of Tohsaka, Archer, Grail killer, the Blade Executor, Saint, and Counter Guardian amongst other things._

 _No._

 _It would be ex-Counter Guardian, had the ritual succeeded?_

 _Ritual?_

His mind was still trying to make sense of all the memories.

He could hear the pained cries of bitterness, anger, suffering and grief distances away. Shirou could do nothing but look up at the smoke filled skies.

 _ **Forged in the flames fueled by a thousand sacrificed souls**_

His body couldn't move, lying down on hard ground. All that he could do was await salvation. Was this the result of some ritual he had done? Was he the reason for all this suffering?

Shirou could do nothing but look away. Even then, he could not. If this was somehow his fault then he should look at the destruction he had caused.

 _Atone..._

The air smelled of charred flesh and burning corpses.

With his body immobile, his mind started to wander. He remembered it, the thousands of wars he had fought in and the millions of slaughters he had committed.

 _ **Tempered in countless blood-soaked battlefields**_

The sounds of pleas and agony were decreasing. Maybe it was his imagination but he could see the vague silhouette of a man approaching.

Shirou closed his eyes to rid it of the tears and opened them again.

Kiritsugu Emiya

No, the man was not Kiritsugu. It was a man in his late forties wearing a brown coat over one ugly shirt. He had a large build, firm jaws and an angular face. He smiled, it looked familiar. The man had a distinctive scar on his cheek.

The smile was of someone who had found hope, the smile of one whose burden was lifted somehow.

"Are you alright kid?"

The man's voice was deep and rough. He was speaking in a strange language. But he understood it all the same.

 _Strange._

If Shirou was not so out of it he would have snorted. Even if the man looked older than him, he had the memories of numerous parallel realities of himself and vague recollections of his time as a counter guardian and a heroic spirit.

 _Did he just say child?_

"Lucretia, over here!"

The elder man took off his coat and wrapped it around him. He had bulging muscles combined with his impressive body. The best way the elder man could be described was a burly bear of a man.

The man turned as he heard the approach of his companion. It was a woman. From what Shirou could see with his blurred vision, she had brown hair, big breasts and a mature seductive beauty.

"By the gods-"

"We have no time. Can you heal him?"

Shirou whispered an aria to check his condition, an ingrained instinct. It was more of a mumble though.

 _"Structure Analysis"_

Aside from multiple burns, it did seem like his age degenerated somewhere within the age of his first memories of his known life. His physical body was of about five to six years old.

"I'll try, here...

 _By earth and water_

 _Air and by fire_

 _Hear this prayer,_

 _Sources of Light and Life_

 _Sources of the day and of the Earth,_

 _I invoke you here_

 _Heal this body and mind"_

The woman suddenly collapsed on her feet.

"Are you alright! You should have told me you didn't have enough energy for a healing spell. Don't push yourself."

The spellwords were spoken in archaic greek. He didn't know how he knew but Shirou somehow understood it. Maybe he had studied the language in one of his alternate realities. He heard the woman mutter the word 'hypocrite'.

"He doesn't seem to be healing." The man had a panicked look on his face.

"Let me try again."

"No. No, you'll die if you push yourself further. You're already spent as it is."

"I know what I'm doing Ivan." Ivan looked conflicted.

A few moments of silence pass between them. The man seemed to be contemplating something. "Let me handle this, I'll see if I can somehow take that thing out. The child might not even make out of here."

The woman was silent for a second or two before she exploded in anger.

"You can't be serious! Taking that out while you are exhausted and wounded will kill you, even then were not sure if it can be taken out safely!"

"It's... it's the only way. My body can't assimilate it completely anyway."

"You'll die you fool!"

"And I've already lived long enough, it's either me or this child. That thing, its not mine. It's the relic of a hero of the past. My father's..."

Lucretia was angry at her friend for trying to throw his life away, but was it really throwing it when he was using it to save a life.

"Lucretia, just this once, help me with this. I want to pay my debt to the old man by doing this. If he was here he would have done the same."

"He was a fool... And do you really thing he would be happy knowing you are trying to thow your life!"

"Then let me die a fool's death like him. He... he would've done the same if he were her right now." Ivan smiled at his longtime friend.

Lucretia could do nothing but turn away from that smile. It was one of acceptance and joy. "Very well, I'll make sure you're able to heal the child without anyone dying."

"Alright let's do this."

The urgency of the situation was getting to them. Lucretia placed her hands over his infusing it with magical energy. She needed to assist Ivan in taking that thing out.

It was excruciatingly painful. Ivan clenched his teeth to prevent him from crying out. It felt like he was ripping his heart out with his bare hands. The pain was like something was trying to carve out a piece of his chest.

"Aaaaaaghh. Gruaaaaaaaah!" Ivan was panting heavily. His mind was being blinded by the pain. But he had to do this, with intense concentration, he continued. Slowly, a small indistinct object emerged from his chest. The object was something the human mind could not comprehend. So it appeared in the way humans would find it convenient.

It looked like a rounded ball of light and fire continuously flickering. Ivan breathing became heavier and heavier. He carefully held the object over the child's chest.

A moment later, the object sank into Shirou's prone form. He could do nothing but watch the procedure.

What had the man done? He felt his body absorbing that object whatever it was. He couldn't see it properly. Shirou could feel his wounds starting to heal from whatever that object was. His mind was starting to black out from everything. It was quite a feat in itself to be able to maintain consciousness for that long with his body suffering from such pain. The object that was inserted inside him moved down. It stopped in his lower abdomen, it was a location that was know as the qi center or the dantian.

Ivan could feel the wounds in his back reopen. He knew he should have taken care of that earlier. Well nothing he could do about it.

"We need to move out of here fast. Can you detect any signs of a Heretic God or the Divine Ancestor?"

The large man scanned the surrounding area with his eyes.

The man didn't seem to hear or just ignored the woman's muttering.

"Are you alright?"

Ivan stayed silent. He didn't want to tell her he was dying. He needed to get them out of her first.

"I'm not even sure if this was caused of the descent of a heretic god but the presence left is strong. This could either be a god or a very powerful being. Both don't sound so comforting. The Divine Ancestor seemed to have fled when the fire combusted here."

Heretic gods? Divine ancestors? It was food for thought later. Shirou felt his eyes sting and his nose was runny from the thickening smoke. The man carrying him began coughing involuntarily.

"Are you alright?"The lady asked again.

"I'm fine."

The woman, Lucretia looked at his companion with concern. She herself was exhausted, the fight against the Divine Ancestor had taken more out of her than she thought. Added with the excessive use of healing, she could feel her body nearly giving up. She had not felt like this in years.

"Better get out of here first."

Even through Shirou's numbed senses he could feel something warm seep into the coat, touching his skin. The man smelt of something all too familiar. Blood. He was bleeding and his breathing was getting heavier. Shirou tried to speak but he was too tired and too weak to do anything.

"Ivan!"

The woman screamed at his companion as they started falling to the ground. The elder man had finally succumbed to his wounds. The last thing Shirou could remember was the woman's frantic cries and shout for help.

"You damn fool!"

* * *

-0-

He was free.

The magus could now confirm it.

EMIYA was finally free from the influence of Alaya.

But at what cost? A thousand lives and a whole village burnt to the ground? The price paid was heavier than what he had given to Alaya. Emiya Shirou had once upon a time made a contract with the Alaya, it was to save the lives of a hundred people.

He remembered it from Archer's memories. To save even just one more life, he made a deal with Alaya.

The very first memories that he could make sense of somehow coincided with the scene he had caused entering this world too. Was everything a coincidence, or was this fate? Everything was repeating itself all over again. Was history bound to repeat itself every time?

It seemed that the aftereffect of his reincarnation/entry into this world had released a flame similar to the activation of his reality marble as it spread out from its epicenter. But instead of converting the area into a bounded field for his reality marble, it caused a destructive explosion that consumed the village in a fire. The area conflagrated being a about a mile wide. The fire had then spread out from there.

A life cannot be saved without taking another.

Was that really the truth? He could not accept that. By trying to save himself he had caused the death and suffering of many others.

Shirou hated it.

Luckily there should've been more casualties if the mages had not evacuated the area because of a bomb was supposed to be in the area. Or that's what was in the news.

With his time spent recuperating from his wounds, the former counter guardian tried to make sense of all the memories he had taken.

Was this a side effect of the ritual? It seemed that he received accumulated memories from his alternate selves.

This smelled of one thing though, second magic. Who better to blame for the unexplainable than Zelretch?

Damn you Zelretch!

The magus was trying to make sense of who he was.

He remembered a world wherein he was in a relationship with Saber.

He remembered how Illya was killed by Gilgamesh.

He remembered when he was killed by Archer.

He remembered he had a little sister named Miyu.

Nonetheless the experimental ritual had succeeded. It was something he had done with Rin's help.

Shirou Emiya had saved himself from his past naivety and mistake. No, it wouldn't be a mistake if he didn't regret it.

After giving up in trying to kill his past self to somehow create a paradox to free himself from his self imposed damnation, Archer had done something remotely selfish for the first time in his life.

Or was it really selfishness? 'Someone who saves', that was the very core of Shirou Emiya. He was a sword forged to save, quite ironic if he said so himself. Swords are forged for battle, slaughter and combat. No, what he had done was both a bit of selfishness and idiotic selflessness.

Archer had asked his past self and Rin to find a way to free him from his contract with Alaya.

Archer didn't know why he had done that. Maybe he had loosened a little when he had seen his past self stray from his ideal, to protect the few people precious to him as opposed to choosing the many.

By choosing the few, Shirou had somehow changed himself. He accepted it, trying find a way to save himself so to speak.

To improve their chances of success, Archer gave Shirou his memories. The memories were soon assimilated with Shirou's own given time. Rin had been taken as Zelretch's student, his reason being she was an interesting student.

After fifty years of effort, with Zelretch's support, a few favors from various magi, Illya's assistance and Rin's genius, they were able to conduct the experimental ritual with Shirou risking his soul as the subject of the experiment.

Fifty years of putting up with Zelretch's pranks? The fearless third rate magus still shivered at that. Shirou had been on the receiving end of Zelretch's pranks for half a century.

Zelretch's pranks, he wouldn't wish it even on his worst enemies, maybe on Gilgamesh, or on Shinji , or on Kirie; but that was besides the point.

The Wizard Marshal had helped them because he found Rin's idea and theory interesting.

Very interesting indeed that it might have been why she was taken as a student, along with a certain drill haired blonde. Later on, Zelretch had also taken Sakura as a student. For reasons Shirou didn't know of. When Sakura had been told of what he was trying to do, she had been adamant in trying to help.

Let it be known that Kischur Zelretch Schienorg is not known for his altruism but his eccentricity.

The theory Rin had come up with was if they could somehow remove his soul from the multiple realities wherein Gaia and Alaya's influence existed and then transferring it to a world that didn't contain their influence. According to Rin, they had to somehow create a precedent of himself being born/reincarnated into such a world.

This was Rin's solution of instead of erasing Shirou from all the realities to create a paradox which in theory itself was impossible.

The experimental ritual itself was more complicated than it seemed. They needed this realities' Shirou as an anchor for the other Shirous. After finding the alternate dimension of their choosing wherein the system of Akasha did not exist, they needed to find a suitable time period wherein someone that was compatible with Shirou existed.

Alaya and Gaia cannot exist without the power from the Root. What they needed to do was go further away from the Root. Or find a world whose system didn't depend on the Root

To simplify it all or in layman's terms, it was like letting someone migrate from a country wherein it's government forces conscription into the military to a another country to escape the forced conscription. This would cause something like taking away the anchor, the main Emiya's soul from Alaya. This would somehow remove Alaya's influence on him, disabling Alaya into forcing him for conscription.

Hell, the poor third rate magus had somehow understood Rin's idea in a way. But he was a hundred percent sure that it far far more complicated than what she made it to be.

Leave it to Rin to explain everything to him.

All this somehow required the application of the True Magics, the Heaven's Feel, the Third True Magic, for enabling the soul to inhabit a body or a vessel; Second Magic's ability to search other dimensions for the location of said reality; the Fifth Magics which would also be for searching the body/vessel; and of course access to the Swirl of the Root by using the 726th Grail.

Oh he sure had a lot of debts to pay, joy.

Magus debts... debts that were inherited even by the next generation.

The farewell party before the ritual was one nasty affair. Sakura was drunk, Arcruide was missing, Rin was quiet and Illya was a mess. Good thing Taiga wasn't alive, bless her soul, or he'd never hear the end of it. Though if it was Taiga, they would tell he was going on a business trip. A long business trip.

But they would accept it, Shirou could not, for the life of him, find out why he was blessed with the love of three beautiful wives. He had children, but they were never told of the ritual. They were just told he was going on a very long journey that he would never come home from, his youngest child wasn't told though. His older children were already adults.

Shirou would still follow his path, even in this world. To become a hero.

Somehow, the path to becoming a hero resonated with all of his selves. He had been able to compartmentalize his memories by relearning Memory Partition.

In an alternate reality wherein he had been the lover of Sion Eltman Atlasia, he had learned the ability of memory partition. It was a prerequisite ability for all Atlas alchemists.

A normal person can only have a single "room" in his brain and only able to focus on one thought. Shirou had been able to master the ability to create four "rooms". It was not a conventional branch of magecraft that depended on the five elements after all.

While able to use the skill, like all things not related to his main ability, blades and combat, it had been degraded. The average alchemist is able to have 64 thought processes in a single room. Shirou was only able to achieve 56 thought processes in his created "partition rooms". It was still a commendable though, a superior alchemist is capable of 192 thought processes. Shirou was capable of 232 when he had fully mastered it. Currently, he capable of 110.

The mind was only able to work with one goal even with multiple processes though.

He had been also unable to learn the skill paired with it, Thought Acceleration. He made up for it by reinforcing his brain which did a remarkable result of being able to surpass Thought Acceleration. The downside was he unable to do it for long periods of time and it was dangerous.

Shirou was able to sort through some of the memories, the others were still a jumble. It was going to take him forever to sort through it all. Was this why Zelretch was crazy? His head was messed up accessing his memories from multiple different realities. Most probably.

One thing was clear to him though, he would not regret anything.

-0-

* * *

-0-

A.N./

I'm writing this story caused I just can't leave it be. Please bear with it if I ever made mistakes with the grammar spellings or whatnot. English is just a second language to me. I'm not a natural writer. You may find the story bland. Hell, even I believe the story is as bland as Saitama's bored face and bald head.

But still it must written. For the fun of it!

Too long have the plot bunnies been slain and put down before they could become more than that. Too long have the plot bunnies been ignored and have died without even seeing a glimpse of the world.

No more. Our graveyards are overflowing with dead plot bunnies.

No more!

Tonight we will be written or be buried ourselves! Tonight we will become Plots!

And so, I started writing it. I've read Campione LN up to Vol.13, last year. May or may not find the time to read the last three chapters and the side stories. I don't know nothing about FSN. I get my knowledge from Nasuverse wiki and other second hand sources. I'll try my best to stay faithful to Nasuverse but no promises.

Oh well, I'm writing just for the sake of writing. I don't expect anything out of this. Me got no beta~

1-Shirou married Miss Blue... This wasn't my fault! I swear. You have no evidence to condemn me!

Well, anyways, I went with the more straightforward and honest character that Aoko has.

2-Illya is alive and she is still in her homunculi body? You say she is supposed to be dead. I've got an explanation for this, but it will be down, down, down the story.

3-I've some plans for her. What do you think about a yandere Sakura? (Buhihihi... Buhihihihi! Bwehehehehe)

4-I can't remember where I've read this...

5-Was Amakusa Shirou Tokisada (Shirou Kotomine) an alternate Shirou? Nope, I don't think so. But hey, I just couldn't stop myself from doing it. I mean they're both fundamentally the same, they were saviors. It's just that their methods vary.

6-Arcruide? Why'd I add her? Eh... one of the reasons for this was because I'm too lazy trying to explain or find a way of how Shirou would percieve non-humans in general as non-threats. In short. I'm lazy.

7-I'm already building OP base stats and skills aren't I. Yes I am... But hey I've got some defense for this, I mean, Shirou's going to be weakened compared to the other characters. I've got me reasons for this!

8-The brain does have a theoretical capacity limit. But some scientist argue it doesn't. Human's have a limited lifespan so our brains are supposed to have unlimited capacity for memory. Meh~ Let's just go with anime logic and screw it all. The brain can store an infinite number of information! Let's go with that!

Anime Logic Banzai! Banzai for brains!

*By the OC's name was something random I came up with. I mean what's the first name you can think of if you say Russia? Stalin! Putin! Rasputin! Vodka! Grizzly Bears! So I don't even know if the name Slavinksi is Russian...

**I'm leaning towards mixing Cultivation in this story somehow. I blame xianxia for this. I mean, hey it's a crossover fanfic anyways, lets me have me fun!

Early Happy New-year!

Re-edit January 12, 2017

I'm rereading and re-editing somethings. I made a few mistakes. Okay, maybe a lot. I might add another re-edit note if my beta sees the need to edit somethin... Oh, and the German is from google translate... so please dont blame me...


	2. First Hero(End of an Era)

Beta: MarksmanKNG

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot for this story

* * *

 **Chapter 2**

The skies looked like a painter's canvas with various colors splattered all over it. The gigantic gears above turned and hammered away continuously. Numerous chunks of land mass were floating at different heights with weapons stuck all over them. The whole world was made of blades. There were numberless blades sticking out of the ground. Blades of every type and kind. There were dagger, spears, maces, arrows, lances, war hammers, glaives, halberds, kabanas, axes, swords and every ancient weaponry you could ever imagine.

The Unlimited Blade Works looked different. Yes. But there was something else odd about the picture. Blades, check; giant gears, check; the hill, check; floating landmass, something new; multicolored sky, still odd but not so out of place in a reality marble; a thousand mile long oriental blue dragon, well that's-

"Wait what!?"

His jaw slackened and his eyes bulged out. Surprise and trepidation turned to fear. It was a dragon. There was a root be damned ancient primordial azure dragon in his reality marble!

Calm down, breathe in. Breathe out. Breathe in. Breathe out.

Much better.

The dragon had a kilometer long silver whiskers and large onyx eyes. It's eyes were unnerving, they were as black as a starless night. The dragon's head alone could fit perfectly inside a stadium. It's scale were the color of the oceans depths.

The phantasmal beast looked beautiful. It's regal and noble form floated in the sky. Its tail was nowhere in sight. Shirou couldn't be sure if he should stare and admire it's awe inspiring beauty or gawk and cower in fear at its fearsome figure. He could feel its heavy presence, it's very being was weighing him down. The magus could feel his knees buckling from the pressure.

"Greetings human."

The disembodied voice echoed throughout the empty world. Shirou was sure if they were not already in his soul, he would have felt the voice in there anyway. The voice was neither male nor female. It sounded like a raging river and a gentle wind blowing through a prairie. The dragon's mouth opened slightly revealing very sharp teeth.

He needed to be careful. Oh those massive serrated sharp teeth. He didn't want an introduction to those pointy ivory fangs so soon. No sir. He liked being alive better.

He had experience talking with beings far more powerful than he was. Shirou took those few encounters to heart and had quite learned very valuable lessons from them. Particularly, don't panic and be respectful. And don't lie.

"Greetings oh Great Ruler of Beings. What might this humble soul offer you? I apologize for the scenery. My... mind is a bit in chaos right now so please excuse me for the... unsightly decor. I welcome you to my soul."

Well for one, dragons were arrogant beings. They liked being respected.

"Hmm. Hmmm. You are a humble one. This Emperor thanks you for your welcome. But tell me this human, how have you so much steel in you?"

The dragon stared at him in with great intensity. Curiousity was sparkling on those deep black orbs.

Shirou could almost physically feel the bead of sweat rolling down his neck.

"I have been told that my Origin is Sword. That may be the reason for the answer you seek."

"This ancient one has travelled far and wide. But never hast this ancient one found one of your kind. Not since... a very very long time ago."

The dragon was muttering more to itself than to Shirou.

"This ancient one knows of you, a man of steel! Never has this ancient one met the likes of you again since the Great Wars. There are gods of steel, there are divine beasts of steel, and there are spirits of steel. But you! Your very core is steel. More than that you are a Blade! You are a Sword!"

Shirou was not sure if this was a good or bad situation. Was the dragon trying to find someone like him? Why? Or was it simply because the dragon had a taste for "humans who had steel in them"? He sure hoped not.

Shirou shivered a little at that thought. On the other hand the dragon seemed excited.

"You are confused. Very well, inquire of me what you will, so this ancient one may enlighten you."

The dragon spoke, its voice like a soft purr and an oppressive roar. Before Shirou could think of anything, the words slipped out of his mouth before he could give them any thought.

"What are you?"

The dragon's none existent brows scrunched as it eyes narrowed into slits. The dragon's body began shaking.

This was bad! The situation just turned from potentially dangerous to cataclysmic disaster. Oh he was dead.

He was dead fresh meat. The dragon was angry. How was he supposed to know it wrong to ask it name!? Oh gods!

He prayed to the gods, his gods.

"Forgive me Rin, for dying so soon. May you grace me with mercy if you ever find me and reanimate my corpse. Let me have your compassion and please don't point that finger ready to Gandr me. Please help me Aoko, when Rin goes on the warpath for the skin of my head-"

The dragon let out a deafening roar.

Shirou could feel his blood run cold. His head was devoid of thought. His breathing stopped. He readied the strongest armaments in his armory ready to respond. It was futile, he knew. He could at least put up a mere second of resistance. This was like a match between a speck of dust and a star!

He was outmatched and overpowered.

"Kukukuku...kuhuhuhuhu... huhahahaha. Bwahahahahahaha! Hahahaha!"

The dragon let out an uproarious earth shaking laughter. Shirou fell down on his ass. What?

"Huh?"

He could not help but be confused.

"Is this coincidence? No. This is fate! You're even as blunt as him."

The dragon spoke between his outbursts of laughter. For what seemed like an eternity, Shirou stared at the dragon. Leaving all decorum, Shirou asked a blunt question.

"What are talking you about?"

The dragon quieted down, a seeming imitation of a smile appeared on the dragon's mouth. It looked more like a snarl.

"This Emperor has travelled for a long time through space, dimension and time to seek someone such as you, human. Tell me, what do you wish for the most? Tell me what your hearts greatest desire is!"

Shirou stared up back at the dragon as it stared back down at him. To hell with it all.

"I wish to save everyone."

Shirou declared his wish with such resolve and determination. The ancient dragon let its power leak from it. The dragon's aura was harsh and heavy as the skies. From Shirou's memories he could remember one thing that was as heavy as this. It was as powerful as a Type. A Type was what magi called the Will of the Planets. Beings far beyond the scope of any human power, besides the True Magics that is.

Shirou stood up admirably against it, his stance was firm his shoulder squared and resolute. This was no mere dragon, Shirou had encountered dragons. The strongest of beasts in most worlds. Dragons could level cities with and villages with ease. But this creature, was different. A being whose very breath could create storms and who could destroy continents with ease. The Dragon in front of Shirou might as well be stronger than a type. Oh he would gladly put his chances on escaping a Type as being higher than trying to escape this Dragon.

Which was zero. Nil. None. Void. He wouldn't even be able to stand a second if the Dragon wanted to truly destroy him.

But that was his wish, that was the wish of most of his selves from the alternate realities. It was his base instinct. "To save."

The ancient being could see the human's- No, the warrior's wish was one he would fight for. The dragon could see it in those steel golden orbs. It was a wish he fight bone, blood, and flesh with to obtain.

"Very well. I can see your resolve human." The Dragon was talking oddly, like patronizing a fool.

"You will neither bend nor break! You human, are a Sword. This ancient one has decided. I will choose you human. No. Hero. The path of a Hero is full of difficulty, sacrifice and hardships. Will you still follow this path?"

"This is the only path."

"Is it now, Hero?"

Shirou recited a line from his aria. But he could feel it. It was no longer his. This was not who he completely was. He had changed. Maybe it was the memories, maybe it was because he had saved himself, he would never know. All that he knew was that those words he spoke did not completely define who he was. But the words were not any less true.

"You, Hero, are the symbol change. You are a symbol of Hope, of Freedom, of Victory. You are a Hero, a being who exists to defy fate itself. You are a Hero; you are not bound by territories, race, or laws. Your actions will shape the world. So show me Hero, show what you will do. Will you be the Destroyer? or the Saviour? Will you bring Salvation? or Damnation?"

"To become a Saviour is to become a Destroyer. I will become neither. I do not know if the result of my actions will bring either Salvation or Damnation, but I will do what is right."

"You truly do impress me, human. State your name that I may who my Champion is."

Shirou felt there was something the Dragon was not saying. Champion? But nonetheless, he answered.

"I am Shirou Emiya."

He stated his name proudly like a knight on his knees before his king.

"I am Gaericus Balerion, the Blue Dragon Emperor, will you accept to become my Champion? My emissary?"

Shirou had to stop at that. Was this a new contract? He had just escaped one to be forced into another? He wouldn't want that. Even if he died right now.

"What does it mean to become your Champion?"

"Wise, aren't you?"

"I am just being prudent."

"Very well, but if I tell you what being my Champion entails, then I expect you to accept my command." Shirou remained silent. "This Emperor merely wants to see you follow your dream, Hero. That is what it entails being my Champion." Fishy. No, screw that. This was downright scary. What did it mean by that? The Dragon was asking him to just follow his dream? That's what it meant to be its Champion?

"That's it?" Shirou could not hide his skeptism. He worded his thoughts "You want me to follow my dream? What do you mean by me becoming your Champion if that was just what you want?"

"Oh? But there is a catch, Hero. You will have to become strong. Maybe not as strong as this Great Emperor of Dragons, but strong enough to stand against _my_ equals." Wasn't that practically the same!?

"You want me to become as strong as you? And how will I do that?"

"This Ruler of Dimensions will assist you of course. Do you truly expect to become as strong as this ancient one by your simple human means?" Shirou could almost taste how the Dragon was mocking him. It was being laid down on him. Thick.

"Why me exactly?" The magus was not a genius, but experience could sharpen even a dull blade. He was hesitant to agree.

"Because this Great Emperor of Dragons has decided so. Do you doubt _my_ decision, Hero?"

He did.

"I am only a human striving for an impossible dream. You expect me to become as powerful as you? What for?"

Shirou could see the Dragon's patience was running thin. But he had to ask this. He didn't want to do something he would regret later on.

The Dragon floating up in the skies of the reality marble stared down at the human questioning its decision. If this meeting was not something brought by a true miracle, then it would already have incinerated the pathetic human. But this human was different. He was no simple man. He was the very paragon of what the Dragon had been searching for in countless number of worlds. A man who held the ideal of a true Hero. But the man was weak. The Dragon _needed_ to do this. This was not a matter of life and death for the Dragon. It was a decision that would create shockwaves through numerous dimensions. Time was of essence. The Dragon would force the man even if it had too.

"I will agree to becoming your Champion on one condition." The Dragon looked at the human.

"Speak. State your terms, Hero."

"Swear to me with everything important to you that you would uphold your end of this bargain. I want you to swear to me that if I agree to becoming your Champion, then it will not result in the harm of anyone but the two of us." Shirou spoke his words carefully. He could just become the Dragon's Champion and be done with it. If it swore that the decision would not result in the death of millions, then he was pretty much alright with it. He had many questions, but if the Dragon really just wanted him to follow his dream. He could agree with that. Besides, what could the Dragon gain from him becoming it's Champion? If the Dragon only wanted him to follow his dream?

"I take an oath in the name of the **Origins** , there will be no harm that shall befall anyone with you becoming my Champion. Is this enough, Hero?"

The magus was stunned. He knew that the Dragon was serious. The oath was imprinted into him. He just knew that it was there. Origins? Whatever the Dragon had sworn the oath to, it was impossible to oppose as reality.

"I, Shirou Emiya, will become your Champion and take whatever responsibility it entails. This I swear on my name."

Shirou felt his knees finally give in. Sweat was rolling down his body in rivers. His hands were at his sides hanging lifelessly.

"So how exactly will you make me strong enough for me to be called your Champion?"

"Simply follow your path, Hero." The magus waited patiently for the Dragon to continue. "This world will be destroyed in twenty years."

"You want me to save this world?" The magus' face paled at that.

"You cannot." That was the bluntly stated declaration. Before it could be interrupted, the Dragon was already continuing the explanation. " Your power is not enough and it will never enough to save this world. But, this Emperor can, of course. It is merely that in saving this world, chaos will ensue."

This was starting to sound like a deal with Alaya. At least, he was free this time. He was going to need all the information he could get.

"What do you mean?" Shirou was not naive. He understood that for some to be saved, others had to be sacrificed. It was why he followed the impossible dream.

"Something is trying to make its way inside this world. But it is not that which will destroy this world, it is what follows after a hole is ripped open from that being's entry. To prevent that _things_ entry into this world, the planes of existence must be compressed to strengthen the laws of the Systems. To simplify it for you, Hero, what must be done to save this world will create chaos. If you want this world to be saved, then you must prevent the chaos that will ensue once my power has taken effect. For even this Emperor cannot achieve everything with _my_ limitless abilities. During the time which this ancient one is compressing the worlds, this Emperor cannot focus on anything else because my power would be needed in sealing this world."

"So you want me to prevent things from happening? But how are you going to compress the planes of existence?" More like, what are the planes of existence? Did the Dragon say that something was burrowing itself into this world? How? What? Where? The questions were stacking up.

"To answer your question, Hero, I must declare a new law into this worlds System." That was just absurd. Maybe he'd understand it better if they weren't talking about it like he should know this already. Maybe?

"Can you just tell me first what you're going to do?

Shirou could have imagined it, but the dragon had a very mischievous smirk just now.

"Then, let _me_ begin."

A tidal wave of pure unimaginable power leaked out of the dragon. This was not prana, it was more of an aura. Shirou realized once more how truly useless it was to even go against this beings wishes.

 _ **"I, the Blue Dragon Emperor,**_

 _ **hereby declare the ending of Eras**_

 _ **The Age of Devil Kings is at an End!**_

 _ **For it is the dawn of the Age of Heroes!**_

 _ **Prepare yourselves, descendants of Man**_

 _ **War and Chaos are nigh approaching**_

 _ **Arm yourselves for Ragnarok**_

 _ **Equip your blades and sharpen your fangs**_

 _ **I announce this words of Prophecy**_

 _ **To you, slumbering beasts asleep in your lairs**_

 _ **To the creatures of the watery depths**_

 _ **To All the beings who hold power**_

 _ **Battlefields will be strewn with corpses**_

 _ **The waters will be dyed red in blood!**_

 _ **This world of Kings and Gods will change**_

 _ **This realm be witness to the birth of a new Age!"**_

This was not what he was expecting. Did the Dragon just declare the end of the world? How was this supposed to fix things. Shirou was starting to doubt the Dragon, but even then, what could he do?

The message was sent out to all the beings who held power; the Campiones, the mages, the witches, the Beasts of the Earth and the Oceans, the Divine Ancestors and to the Gods. The message held no malice but it held intent.

Monsters who had long gone into slumber started to awaken. The gods who had long left the battlefield were provoked. The declaration held so much power that the chains that imprisoned the Gods in their myths weakened. All beings of power were made aware.

Shirou who was the nearest to the dragon, almost blacked out. He was sure that if they were in the physical world, the Blue Dragon Emperor's presence would crush him completely. Luckily, this was his soul. He was the God in this world. He would be unable to even scratch the dragon but neither could Gaericus touch him. This was his soul where he didn't need prana to manipulate his blades, because the blades were already there.

"This ancient one will return to his slumber then. _My_ task is not yet complete, the _Law_ will not write itself. But before that, allow _me_ to give you this little gift. Show me Hero, how you will change this world."

Before he could utter a reply, a gentle wind embraced him.

"All the Heroes who had defied fate had the blood of Gods, Demons or Primordial Beings. You do not. You will become my Champion, it is only appropriate that you receive my blood. Your body will assimilate and absorb it in time. Though this ancient one must give you this advice hero: grit your teeth."

Before Shirou could contemplate what the mischievous smile was for, his body felt the warmth trickle. The warm trickle exploded into a raging inferno. His body felt like it was being hacked to pieces. His bones shattered then slowly reformed. His skin felt like it was being flayed again and again. The pain spread inwards into his organs. The pain didn't end yet after it went inwards. His body was put back together, and then another wave of pain assaulted him. His mind was only able to endure for so long. After the fifteenth wave of pain, he went into Morpheus' embrace. But there was one thing that was on his mind, 'Did he just get duped into something?'

* * *

-0-

The smell of disinfectant was thick in the air. The walls were painted white, the ceiling was white, even the sheets were white. There was a potted plant by the window. The red-headed child stirred in his sleep. Lucretia sat in a chair by the window looking out at the hospital's backyard. This week had been grating on her nerves and straining her mind.

There was a bed in the center of the room with various machines and apparatus beside it. The hospital had called her last night saying something strange had happened to the patient. They found the child on the floor in a pool of blood and shredded skin. The doctors thought it was someone's idea of a sick prank. The child seemed to have miraculously healed from his wounds after that.

That incident that happened last night. What was it? She had heard the voice in her head. It was the voice of a God. No, it was more than a god. Whatever that voice came from it was a monster. She had received calls from both the Copper-Black Cross and the Bronze-Black Cross inquiring if she knew what that voice was. The declaration was ominous. Was it a prophecy of the End of Eras? Or was it a fact. The way the voice had said it, made it sound like it was already happening. Oh, the headaches to come. Troublesome times were coming.

She was still taking care of the papers for adoption. This was the best thing she could do for the child. Various organizations were involved, press conferences were held and the media information had to be controlled. All in all, it had been three sleepless nights.

She had promised Ivan that she would take care of the child. That was the last request he had asked of her. Lucretia somehow knew if Ivan himself had lived, he would have adopted the child. This had been something all too similar to what happened to that man after all. Ivan's adopted father had found him in a forest wounded and bleeding. Ivan was at death's door during that time; he had almost lost all hope. That was until a hermitic sage found him in that forest. The sage had took him in and loved him as his own son. That was until a divine beast rampaged in a nearby village. The sage confronted the divine beast and was able to drive it away. Ivan found the sage just barely before he succumbed to his wounds.

That was where Ivan had sworn to become a protector just like his father. His father gave him a gift. It was _that_ ball of fire and light. Whatever that thing was it changed Ivan's body making him more resilient, it healed his wounds faster and he could surpass human limits. Even now, Lucretia had no idea what that _thing_ was. It was not from of this world, she knew sure. The title of "Scholar of the Gods" was not earned lightly after all.

The boy they had found in the fire was a mystery. All they could find was that he was an orphan of unknown origin. Records of his transfer to the orphanage in that village could be found but nothing else. The information may have been lost in the fire. The child had healed most of his wounds after the event last night.

The witch twirled her hair in her hands as she watched the scene outside. There was movement in the edge of her vision. The child stared at her.

"Hello."

Lucretia stopped her movements. She was pretty sure that wasn't any dialect she had heard of. The words seemed like they were transmitted directly into her mind. A normal human would have not noticed it. But she was a witch, the highest ranked witch on Earth.

"Do you understand me?"

The child nodded his head. She would ponder this later. It seemed the child had no notion of where he was. It also seemed the kid spoke something akin to the True Language.

"What's your name?"

The red-headed kid tilted his head in a thinking posture. She found the gesture adorable on the five-year old.

"Shirou, Emiya Shirou."

"Do you know where you are?"

The child shook his head from left to right.

"Do...do you remember what happened before the fire happened?"

Lucretia was hesitant in asking the question. She didn't want to remind the child of the trauma that may have been caused by the incident. But she needed information. The doctors had told her the child seemed to have suffered a trauma causing amnesia.

"I don't... remember what happened before the fire."

The child didn't seem to be lying, but he was hiding something. It was written all over his face. Lucretia sighed. If the child didn't want to tell her of what happened she wouldn't push. She was not merciless and insensitive. Not like that bastard, Ivan.

"Are you alright?"

The child seemed to have noticed the melancholic expression on her face.

"I'm fine, Shirou-kun."

Lucretia tested her theory. It was not like the child would have noticed if he did have the Unified Language. Her Japanese was passable, according to Ichirou, another friend of hers.

"What's your name?" She spoke softly as not to scare the child. Not that she looked scary in anyway.

"Oh, where are my manners, my name is Lucretia Zola. You may call me Ruku-chan. Okay."

"Uhm, Lucretia-san-

"Haven't I told you to call me Ruku-chan~. I'm going to become your mom after all. So you also call me Okaa-chan~."

Lucretia winked for emphasis. She found his stupefied expression hilarious and cute.

"Eh...eh, eh!"

She couldn't stop herself. The child had the innocent face that just screamed the words, 'tease me', to her. She burst out laughing.

Oh she was gonna have her fun!

* * *

-0-

"Ruku-san, where are we going?"

They were in a car cruising through the streets of Cagliari. After Shirou had finally relented and compromised on her nickname, they had gotten him out of the hospital. That was four days ago. He had been asleep during their short flight from Napoli to Cagliari.

The car a costumized red Mazda RX-7. It's hood was open letting the air whip past them.

Cagliari was a port city of Phoenician origins. A beautiful city near the sea, it was famous for its shipbuilding industries. The sun was up in the cloudless skies, it was past midday.

The day had been tiring. To say the least, it had been very awkward for Shirou to try to not stare at the birds. The birds could talk!? By Zelretch's balls the animals could talk?! He started panicking then. Was this one of Zelretch pranks. What had he done to deserve this!? That was until he noticed no one seemed to care. The damned dragon woke up a few hours later and talked to him.

So he was not in a world where animals could talk. Good to know. But what did happen was that he had gained the ability to converse with all creatures. Good thing those creatures didn't seem to include microscopic bacteria and life forms. That would drive him insane. He was able to converse with any sentient life form. The dragon also told him he should just learn to control it because it was another part of his/her/its gift. If he didn't want to hear every damn animal he met yapping.

Dragons, being the most powerful creatures in existence, were very much attuned with magic. And Gaericus was a dragon who had lived for god knows how long. Civilizations were always being reborn, cultures change, languages change. In order to converse with the subjects of their interest, most phantasmal creatures in this world conversed directly with the soul. Most of these phantasmal creatures had this ability from birth.

It was something akin to the Unified Language from his world. According to Rin, the Unified Language was spoken directly through the soul resonating with the root. The Unified Language was a powerful form of telepathy and hypnotism. The only difference between this and the Unified Language was that the receiver had to obey the speaker.

He needed to find a solution to this. It was driving him crazy seeing animals talk. Whoever had heard of sea gulls complaining of fishermen stealing the fish that were in the ships?

He did. Good thing he hadn't met a talking sponge or starfish yet. For the sake of his sanity.

The mini cassette recorder in the car was playing a Chopin, Nocturne Op.9 No.2. Huh? He didn't know where he developed a taste for classical music. The memory not his own came to him. So it was Luvia fault this time.

The bay came into view as they went further away from the city. The music and the scenery was lulling him into sleep. It was a beautiful sight. The Mediterranean Sea stretched out before him, its blue waters sparkling. The squawking of sea gulls or rather their voices, echoed in the background. The splashing of waves against rocks as the sea slowly but surely crashed against stone, eroding it. Before he knew it, he was asleep, his question left unanswered.

Lucretia gently laid his head into her lap, humming an old lullaby. The air smelled of the sea, that musky salty tang. The soft rumbling of the engine was soothing. Lucretia placed a hand on the boy's hair and stroked it. The child's hair color was unusual. He was had oriental features, and she was sure he was able to speak in japanese. Maybe that was where he was from. She'd need to ask a few favors to find any information, if she could any relatives of the boy.

The child was strange that was for sure. She could detect the boy's magical energy. It was massive. If she wasn't so sure the boy was a human she would have said he was the fourth Campione. The boy didn't have as much magical energy as a Campione but it was close. It was as much as half the magical power that a Campione could naturally release.

The boy would make for a very powerful mage one day. But before that, he needed to be taught. Lucretia felt a strange warmth in her chest. The child stirred, he seemed to be dreaming.

"Sleep, Shirou-kun. I'll be here for you."

Was this what a mother felt like? She never did have children. Yes, she had lovers in the past. But she had always used a spell to make her infertile. Her maternal instincts made her want to hug the little boy. Someone who looked so innocent and young didn't deserve what happened to him. Lucretia still remembered that hellish scene. That tragedy would be the subject of her nightmares for the many sleepless nights to come.

The anguished cries of the victims, the smell of burning human flesh as they died ever so slowly, it was one of the worst of the things she had ever seen. And she had seen many things with her age.

She had wanted to help, she had done what she could. Had they really try their hardest? She dispelled the thought. It wouldn't do for her to tarnish Ivan's memory by thinking that. The thing that happened had no warning. She had tried to confront the Divine Ancestor. The Divine Ancestor felt something there, she should because what else could she be doing there. It was not the Divine Ancestor's doing, she had been just as curious and confused by the buildup of magical power in the area and went to investigate. At least that's what Lucretia had gathered from their conversation.

The boy's magical power was being repressed. She had only been able to feel it when she touched the boy. That had shocked her. She thought a Campione had arrived and was around the area until she let go of the boy to look. Was the increase in the boy's magical energy caused by that thing? But how come it did not have the same effect that it did on Ivan? And Ivan had that thing inside him for more than twenty years. There were too many questions. Questions that would be answered in time.

That time was what she didn't have. The world was in panic. Hopefully she wouldn't get pulled in the magical world's power struggles. Who was she kidding? She was the highest ranked witch on Earth. The announcement from four days ago had caused more than just a ruckus. It had caused chaos. Various organizations were amassing their power. The leaders of the of the most prominent symbols of the magical world were convening. All who had knowledge of the hidden side of the world were gathering.

It would be a pain. She would have to move away sooner or later once the letters started coming. She would be prepared. But she was not picking a side yet, things were already unstable. Siding with an organization would just would just be fanning the flames. Specially if the gods and divine beasts were not just the enemy. Someone would take advantage of the chaos and would try to destroy rival organizations.

There was paranoia and fear. In their struggle to strengthen themselves, they would see those who don't see the same goal as themselves as enemies. Things would stabilize. In time.

* * *

-0-

Shirou was jolted awake as the car moved inland. He sat up and rubbed his groggy eyes. They were moving inland. The view was different from what he had seen earlier. They were on a dirt road overlooking boundless grassland plains. The view was almost similar of what he could remember of Saber's homeland.

They were nearing another city.

"Awake now, are we? Sleepyhead."

"Huh? Ah, where are we Ruku-san."

"We're near the city of Nuoro, this is the eastern part of Sardinia."

"So we're going to the city?"

"Nope. We're going to Oliena, a little town nearby."

"Oh."

The town of Oliena was beautiful. Their destination being Lucretia's house, was at the edge of town near the forest. There were no houses nearby. The house looked ancient, the grass was untrimmed. The old house stood at the center of the property surrounded by trees. A brick wall encircled the property, with an intricate iron gate protecting the entrance.

"It looks... old. Ruku-san is this where you live?"

"It is, and it will also be your home from now on. I had this place back when I moved here."

Shirou nodded his head sagely. "So Ruku-san is as ancient as this house."

"Ara-ara, it is bad manners for a man to be talking about a woman's age you know, Shirou-kun." There was a comical tick mark on her head. There was a dark aura coming from her. He knew he shouldn't have said that out loud.

"Ah, I mean. It looks as beautiful as you Ruko-san."

The ominous aura dissipated instantly.

"Oh, you shouldn't flatter me so Shirou-kun. Alas, it seems Shirou-kun will grow up to be a womanizer someday. Whatever will this poor mother do to keep the maidens safe from him..."

"Ruku-san..." Shirou sweat dropped at the woman's sudden change of mood.

"Let's go inside then shall we."

The two story stone house was shaped and positioned in an upside-down inverted L, with two chimneys jutting from the brick rook. There was a fountain in front of the house. The house was situated at the edge of an elevated mass of land. A wide plain of flat grassland could be seen from the back of the house. A black cat welcomed them. It was sitting in front of the door looking like it was guarding it.

"Did you miss me Kuro?"

Lucretia picked up the cat to pick a key under the doormat.

"Welcome to our home Shirou-kun~."

"You shouldn't say things that could be easily misunderstood by a man Ruku-san."

"Oh? Is my little Shirou embarrassed now?" Her melodious laughter was annoying him. But he was a man, he blushed from the woman's teasing. Well, a man in a child's body.

The entrance to the house was located in the house intersection. The aroma of herbs and dusty tomes assaulted Shirou's nose. The interior of the house was decorated by antique paintings and decorations. The living room had quite the decor divans and intricately designed chairs. The door ahead lead to the dining room. To the right was the staircase , below the staircase was a door leading to the right wing of the house.

"Make yourself at home Shirou-kun. I'll go find if I can fix us something for dinner."

Shirou had to hold himself from volunteering to do it himself. He was in the body of a five year old child, who was supposed to be an amnesiac. It would be suspicious of him to be able to do something a normal five year old couldn't. He'd take his time, it would then be a slow but sure takeover of the kitchen. In the mean time, it was better to inspect his future dwelling place.

There were quite a few rooms upstairs. There were three empty rooms and two guest rooms that were fully furnished. Lucretia's room, the most disorganized room, was in the right wing. The library was located downstairs in the right part of the house. A few rooms were filled with strange artifacts and chests. Shirou found a stairs leading down to the basement.

He needed a location for his workshop. It would be best to set it up in a secure location away from prying eyes, a basement would be stone steps leading down was dark and wet.

"Trace on"

Shirou projected a wooden torch, then inscribed a rune on it. This was the third time that he had tried using his magecraft. It was instaneous. It would have taken him a quarter of a minute to project something in his old world, but here where there was no interference from Gaia, it took less than a second.

"Sowilo"

He ignited the torch using the rune. Runes, the type of magecraft he was most compatible with. The fire started as a small teardrop, until it suddenly expanded to the size of a meter. Shirou let go of the torch and switched off his circuits. He reinforced his legs then jumped back. His sharpened battle instincts enabled him to escape the fire's radius.

"WHAT IN THE ROOT WAS THAT!?"

His voiced resounded down the stairs. He knew he should have tested his prana for abnormalities first. He tried projecting another torch again. He wrote the rune, this time he controlled the prana coming from the lone active circuit.

The torch was lit. He needed to make time to setup a workshop. His magecraft was working strangely. So it was not just his psych that changed, the quality of his circuits to. There were even circuits that were added to his body after he received the 'gifts' from Gaericus, that Root be damned dragon. The flight of stairs lead to an iron door. Shirou applied light reinforcement and pushed it open.

The hinges were rusted. It was probably from disuse. The setting sun colored the skies orange, a few stray clouds were scattered over. Shirou looked at the wide grasslands below. The scenic sight was breath taking. There were stone stairs leading down. The pathway looked ancient. Shirou inspected the mortar and stone platform that the house was built over. The house was probably built over some ruins. Shirou let out a sigh as he sat down the walkway. It was a long way down to the bottom. The house was not built on an elevated land mass, it was built at the edge of a cliff. There were stairs leading down to the grasslands below.

Shirou accessed the needed information from his mind. If he could achieve a state of inner balance and harmony, he could enter his reality marble. He entered a meditative stance. His legs were crossed and his hands were clamped together, positioned it near his lower belly. He evened out his breathing and emptied his mind. He closed his eyes.

When he opened again, he was inside his Unlimited Blade Works. The first thing he saw was the sleeping dragon. It's was coiled up like a snake. Black orbs the color of the void looked at him.

"This ancient one can guess what you seek. You seek answers..."

"Well I do have a lot of questions Gaericus-san." Shirou rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

"Even this ancient one, seeks answer from you Hero. You are riddle." The dragon's voice was ringing in his soul.

"Let us each ask a question each and answer in return then. If we do not wish to reveal the answers to such questions then the other may ask another question."

"Your proposition is acceptable."

"Well... let me ask about the Systems" of the Worlds then Gaericus-san, what did you by that?"

"Hmm, hmmm... That is a good question. The "Systems" are the rules of the world, dimensions, and realms. An example would be the origin of the gods of this world.

Gods are born from the "Myths" that humans have passed on since ancient times. The essence of the earth, the sky and stars, the natural elements like the system of fire, air, water, and earth, or the systems of wood, earth, metal, fire and water, this are what comprise the supernatural core of "Myths", thus giving form to the gods. This is according to the magi of this world.

The "Systems of the Worlds" are the established laws of the universe. Does this explanation satisfy you, Hero?"

"It did, please ask your question?"

"You are not the original owner of this body, are you?"

"I.. am not, I am from a different world."

"That explains why your physical form is different from your spiritual form. Ask."

"Can the "Systems" be changed?"

"Straightforward, aren't you. This ancient one approves of that trait of yours, Hero. To answer your question, yes. But one does not simply 'change' the "System", Hero. Even I, the Blue Dragon Emperor whose equals can be counted on a single human hand, cannot change the Systems."

"You mean you're not alone!?"

The dragon let out an amused chuckle at Shirou's hysteria.

"Most say that we dragons are arrogant. This ancient one says that we only have too much pride, with age comes wisdom... This ancient one knows of only three beings who have the power equal to mine. The first was my friend, the King of Origins. He was once a mortal like you, Hero.

For you to understand properly, I must tell you of the Origins. After the birth of the Will of the Nothingness, the **Origins** were born. They are the creators of the old "System". They were five main Origins, the strongest of them all. There was **Potential** , **Law** , **Genesis** , **Reality** , and **Void**.

After they created the "System", they faded from existence only manifesting if the "System"is in danger. What we didn't know at that time was that the **Origins** , slept within the creatures of the world. They would then find another vessel once their old hosts die.

 **Law** preferred the dragons, **Genesis** preferred the gods, **Reality** had no preferences and appeared randomly, **Potential** preferred the humans, and **Void** preferred the demons. This happened until **Void** was manifested in a human. That human had half the mixed blood of dragons, gods, and demons. It was a miracle. All the five Origins manifested in that single human. Sad to say, his life short and tragic. But that does not mean it was not beautiful.

We admire the beauty in such things because we can never have it. The man loved a goddess who was being wooed by many. He was but a mortal man. If he so much as even approached the goddess, he would be hunted down and killed. But it was even impossible to approach the goddess. He had only seen her once and by that one time his heart was captured.

The man knew it was futile to even dream of her, but he never could forget her. So he strived, he trained and struggled. It was on his journey to become strong that he met the goddess again. She was seeking refuge from the burden of choosing a husband. She knew that if choose wrong one, war would erupt. The man confessed his loved to her. The goddess, desperate for reprieve asked the man for freedom, the freedom to choose.

The human swore to her that she would seek it for her. He swore that he would tear down the very heavens asunder if it was what it took to fulfill the wish. The goddess returned to the heavens, forgetting about the man. But the man never forgot her. The man trained and trained to become strong. He became strong enough to control the manifestation of the Origins. That was when we met. He had defeated me in battle. It was then that we had heard the news, the goddess had chosen a husband. But the human believed of no such thing.

The suitors had all vowed that they would not turn on the one who was chosen, rather they would help him. The human built an army of followers, and with that army we stormed the wedding. Hah! Those were the good old times. We fought through hordes of demons, angels, gods, dragons, and all manners of creatures. Even whole worlds were destroyed from our battle. The human bloodied, wounded and bruised had won the battle and gave the goddess the freedom to choose. He had forced all realms as witness, he made everyone promise that they would give her the choice.

It was then that the goddess had found love. She had found love in a dying man, whose name she didn't even know. The human, was but mortal. Slowly he succumbed to his wounds and the abuse his body had received in order to become stronger in time. With the human's last breath and power he destroyed the old "System"that had let such a thing happen in the first place. He, with the power of the main Origins, created a new system. The new system where fate did not rule all. With the creation of the new "System",possibilities existed. The possibilities birthed worlds with different systems. And he was my friend. He was a human who had much steel within him. He was the human who made the impossible, possible. That human was the first Hero.

Hmm... It seems this one's story has taken a bit too long to tell, someone is approaching you. We will continue our discussion for another time, Hero."

Shirou slowly opened his eyes. The dragon's story was long one. Time moved more slowly inside his reality marble, but it seemed he had spent so much time in it that it was already dark.

Numberless stars littered the cosmos above.

Lucretia's mature and melodious voice called out to him.

"So this is where you all along. You had me worried you know? Shirou-kun."

Her tone both berating and anxious.

She was holding a lantern in one hand. She was holding the black cat in an embrace in the other. The light she was holding illuminated here lustrous brown hair and purple eyes. Her beautiful figure was further accentuated by the large loose shirt that reached to her thighs. Her white long legs were bare...

The warm Mediterranean air was blowing inlands. Shirou was lucky it was dark, or Lucretia would have noticed his reddening face and teased him about it. Even if he did have three wives and had lived for more than sixty years, he still wasn't used to seeing a woman flaunt her body so openly.

"I'm sorry Lucretia-san, I got carried away watching the scenery." Shirou rubbed the back of his head embarrassed.

"Oh, well dinner is getting cold. Let's go eat now shall we. I'm sure you're hungry."

* * *

-0-

Shirou woke up before dawn. It was a force habit he had developed over his long years of regimented training. If he needed to become stronger, he needed to retrain his muscles. Reinforcement could only be applied so much before his body would break, even with his changed psyche. Shirou went out of his room. Before he got to the stairs leading the walkway at the back, he noticed the flickering lamp from one of the library.

Lucretia was sleeping on a chair with her head in an open book on the reading table. Shirou went to look for a pillow and blanket. He could carry her to her room but that would ask questions. Questions such as he was able to carry a fully grown adult. Questions he was not yet ready to answer. Besides, he didn't want to disturb her sleep. Lucretia seemed to be a good person, but one never be too sure. He removed the book from the table and replaced it with a pillow. He put the blanket over her sleeping form. He blew out the light from the lamp.

His reinforced eyes could look in the dark as long as there was a minuscule amount of light available. He projected a lantern and lit it. It would be dangerous to experiment with his unstable magecraft. A wide open space was needed. The grasslands below the back of the house was the perfect location. He pushed the creaky iron doors open. The projection dissipated.

The release of prana might, and would alert anyone sensitive to magecraft. Testing his magecraft was not possible. He would have to make do with physical exercises for now. The plans began forming in his head as his body went into autopilot.

He would need to build a bounded field around the house. Lucretia seemed to be a fairly powerful magi if the prana she was naturally releasing was anything to go by. Shirou was sure that Lucretia was able to rival to rival the Queen of the Watch Tower in the amount of prana she could generate or maybe even more.

The magi in these world didn't seem to have knowledge of bounded fields. This was a boon. He'd need to set up a simple detection and magic containing bounded fields. Even with the memories that he had, the more complex bounded field he could build needed materials he didn't have.

He had not met any other magi of this world yet. But he was sure they should be stronger than the Magi in his world. That was, if Caster was any proof of magi that existed during the Age of the Gods in his world. But Caster was an unfair comparison, she was a Heroic Spirit. And Heroic Spirits were powerful by themselves and were said to be able to hold their own and even have a chance of coming out on top in a battle against a Dead Apostle Ancestor.

If what the dragon said, was true, then what were the forces that balanced this world. This were questions he needed answers to.

It was possible to change the "System" of the world. But one needed all the Origins. Was it possible to change the "System" even if the Origins were not in one person. It would be impossible to search for all of the Origins with the infinite number of worlds. That was not even considering how to find the people with the main Origins within them. Was it possible to gather all the main Origins? It would be a foolish quest. It would be an impossible quest. But whoever said that something was impossible? Not the dragon who told him of the story of the first Hero. A Hero achieves the impossible. His own wish was a foolish wish. It was an impossible wish.

"To save everyone"

Lucretia was woken by the delicious aroma coming from the kitchen. She was still lethargic from the lack of sleep. There was a blanket draped over her shoulders. Oh! How sweet of Shirou-kun. She walk towards the kitchen with half-closed eyes following her nose. It was mouth watering. Who could be cooking in the kitchen at this ungodly hour. She looked towards the grandfather clock in the hallway. It was 7:21 in the morning. She stood at the entrance to the kitchen watching as a little Shirou put a stool to step on as he expertly flipped the pancakes. His other hand was busy stirring a stew. The apron was too big for so he had folded it so that it would fit as it was tied on his armpits.

The little boy looked so adorable, but that was not the first thing that entered her mind. He could get himself injured.

"Shirou!" She went straight to him and grabbed him to put him down on the floor. "What do you think you're doing?"

She turned off the gas stove. She was almost panicking as she faced Shirou.

"Uhm... I'm cooking?"

"I can see that. What are youdoing in the kitchen?"

"I'm sorry... but I just wanted to cook." Shirou's eyes teared up as he stared back at Lucretia. Damn he knew it was too early, now he might even be banned from the kitchen longer!

"Okay... you can cook. But you will have to tell if you are cooking, okay? I just don't want you to get hurt..."

Huh? What was that? Huh? She was worried that he would get injured. So why would she still allow him in the kitchen then. Women really were strange. They said and did the most confusing things. But it better to not look a gift-horse in the mouth. Hooray for the complexities of a woman's mind!

Lucretia helped him back onto the wooden stool.

She took a seat at the table watching as Shirou continued cooking. It was unfair when he had that teary eyed expression on his face. He looked like kicked puppy! Shirou's movements caught her eye. He liked cooking, and he was damned good at it. The expression on his face as he whistled a jaunty tune while cooking was infectious. She smiled. He seemed to know his way around the kitchen.

"Ruku-san, here's some coffee while I get breakfast ready."

The smell alone, was able to kick the remaining sleepiness from her. It was an absolutely delicious bittersweet concoction. The coffee beans had been brewed to perfection. It was just the right temperature and had moderate sweetness. There was also some hidden ingredient added into it. Was that cinnamon?

Shirou's ability to cook was strange, but it was not the strangest thing she had ever seen. She had heard of people who had amnesia who could still do the things they normally did. Maybe he was the cook at the orphanage.

Lucretia enjoyed her coffee immensely. She had drank the second cup of coffee until breakfast was ready. They arranged the table. Shirou muttered a quite thanks for the meal before eating. He was not used to eating with western eating utensils but he got used to it. Lucretia nearly dropped her fork as she tasted the pancakes. It was so fluffy and soft. It was divine. Shirou was a prodigy cook! Lucretia couldn't help but moan at the sensations from her taste buds.

"Shirou!"

"Yes ma'am!" Shirou instinctively straightened in his chair.

"You will be my cook!"

"Uhuh..." That was the only unintelligent reply he could formulate. Yes! It was official the kitchen was his! Shirou had to restrain himself from imitating the evil laugh.

After breakfast, Lucretia took care of the dishes with a very insistent Shirou. She went back to the library to continue her research. She had not yet touched even a tenth of the contents of her library. The answers had to there somewhere. What was that artifact that was inserted into Shirou? Was the worldwide prophecy declaration a coincidence with what happened with the child? She wasn't sure. She had not touched the child prior to her touching him during that time, when she noticed his magical reserves.

She also noticed it during breakfast. His magical reserves had grown further. It was not noticeable but it was still there. Had the child any part in all of this? There were too many question that needed answers. She slumped in her chair.

There was too much to do. Well nothing gained by nothing done. She'd need to look at her older books. Maybe she could at least get some clues on her numerous questions. The silence in the alerted her to Shirou's absence. He could take care of himself. The child was far more mature for someone his age. She'd look for him later.

* * *

-0-

The stew was still in the stove. Shirou lowered the heat again. This was one particularly tricky recipe. The kitchen didn't have any fresh ingredients. The dried meat that was simmering in the pot was something he had found by chance. He'd check on this later. He went out of the house returning to the gate. That was where he had set up one of the magical sigils for the bounded field. He was currently working on it. He had planned to cover the entire house' territory.

Bounded fields needed time to be set up. Even simple ones. Shirou could feel the sun's heat on the back of his neck and head. Sweat dampened his shirt. He looked at the hourglass beside him. It was nearly an hour. He could try to project a clock instead, but the clock he could project would somehow always malfunction. A watch, that was harder.

He wiped the sweat with a towel as he went inside. The stew needed about half an hour until he could add the herbs. Another thirty minutes before he could add the vegetables. The aroma made him salivate. Cooking was an art. It needed perfect timing and precision. It also needed the right ingredients. Now where were those herbs he had taken from the garden this morning.

As Shirou was, putting the dishes away after dinner, he thought more about how he could breach the topic of the magical world with Lucretia. He didn't have any prior experiences with this world's magi except her, and the man who saved him. They were both good people. But his cautious nature was winning out. Even Rin, who was as good a person could be just as merciless as a magi.

The first sigil for the bounded field he was working on was done and he was starting on the second. He using runes as the base for his bounded field, that was the best thing knew of. It was also runes that he had the most extensive knowledge of. Even from the multiple realities. He also noticed something. Some of the memories were starting to get erased. His brain couldn't cope up with trying to sort through all that information while multitasking. He would have to concentrate on the second bounded field for his room then. He needed to sort through the memories before they could be lost.

He was on a tight schedule. A shadow fell on his shoulders. Shirou looked behind him, it was Lucretia. Her face was almost pale within the candle lit kitchen.

"Shirou-kun, we need to talk."

* * *

-0-

They were inside of her study. Lucretia sat on the desk chair. Shirou sat opposite him. The atmosphere was tense. He noticed how Lucretia was fidgeting every now and then. They faced each other waiting for someone to break the ice. Lucretia did it. Her face expression was grave and almost solemn.

"Emiya-san, are you a god?"

She needed to ask that question that had been bugging since they first met. Depending on his answer, the conversation would spring into different directions. She looked at his face. It was tense, then it went blank, then it turned confused.

"Huh?"

Lucretia breathed a sigh of relief. She was quite sure Shirou wasn't lying. Or Shirou was a very talented actor. Which seemed less probable. If he was not a god, there were many things he could be. And those being an unlikely enemy of humanity. If he was not a god, then what was he? Even if he was cleared from being a hostile, he was still a neutral.

Shirou's serious expression returned.

"What are gods? Lucretia-san."

Shirou somehow looked years beyond his age. His eyes gained a glint of steel within them, he was tense. The witch could tell he was also waiting for this answer. He had looked hesitant before asking the question. Strange...

"Gods are beings who are born from the Myths passed down from the ancient ancestors of man. Emiya-san."

There was another long moment of silence before Shirou spoke again.

"Lucretia-san, can you promise me you will keep this a secret? I am going to tell you something that may answer some of the questions you have."

A secret? Lucretia nodded. She did notice the use of her name. That what did when he was talking about some of serious matter. What she didn't expect was the answer she would receive would open up more questions.

"Lucretia-san do you believe in reincarnation?"

Lucretia was stunned. Was he implying that he was a reincarnated soul. She could still see the tension in him. This was seriously absurd. Even if he was somehow telling the truth... Normal humans didn't have the ability of reincarnation. Maybe, maybe if it was a stolen Authority...

"Are you- are telling me that you are a reincarnation?"

Shirou nodded

"Then are you a Campione?"

"No I am not. What are Campiones Lucretia-san?"

"Campiones are Godslayers. According to Cardinal Antonio Tebes, Campiones are supreme rulers. Because they can kill celestial rulers, granting them Authorities usurped from the gods. Campiones are lords. Because they have the power to kill divinities. Campione are devils. Because no human have the power to oppose them."

"But what about you Lucretia-san. What do you think about Campiones?"

The steel edge in his eyes increased. She could feel like she was being cut looking into those brown-golden orbs.

"Campiones are merely humans, who have far greater power than others. They are beings who were able to slay gods, by luck, cunning, strength of will, or skill. They are both the tyrants and rulers of the earth."

Shirou seemed to ponder on his next words. He was still hesitating. A dagger formed in his hands. It was a stone dagger, with bamboo strips covering the handle. Its edges looked sharp and was about the size of her hand. The obsidian blade shaped irregularly, it was about an inch thick from the handle. The make was uneven, but it still looked beautiful. Lucretia could feel the power from the dagger. It was not meant for fighting, but looked more to a be dagger that was used for rituals.

This conversation was getting more absurd by the moment.

"I will be applying a geass on both of us Lucretia-san. This geass will force us both to answer only the truth. Will you agree? This is the only way for me to trust you."

Shirou pricked his hand as he let the blood run down the blade.

"I ,Shirou Emiya, hereby swear to answer all question you would ask with only the truth and nothing but the truth. This contract will be valid until the dagger of pledge breaks."

Shirou extended the dagger to her, grabbing the handle with the sharp end pointing upwards. "This will just hurt a little." He pricked her hand letting the blood flow to the opposite edge of the blade.

"Swear while releasing your magical energy Lucretia-san."

She followed what he had said earlier.

"I, Lucretia Zola, hereby swear to give answers to all that is asked of me with the truth. May this contract be valid until I have deemed it so."

Shirou looked a bit wary at her last words. But there were things she could not tell anyone, even under the pain of death. It was not that she did not trust Shirou, but it was always better to safe than sorry. She knew next to nothing about him. What little she knew of him seemed to have been erase by what he had revealed. Besides, she had many questions. There was also a way to circumvent the pledge they had taken.

"Let me ask first."

"Go ahead Emiya-san."

"Would you have killed me if I was somehow an innocent but would have known something about the magical world?"

Lucretia feel herself freeze. She was not that brutal.

"Of course not." Her denial came out smoothly. "Even if you somehow knew about the magical world, I would have just erased your memories. Even then I would not have to kill you. I will not kill Emiya-san."

"What was the reason you adopted me?"

So he was testing her integrity and character? That was what he so cautious about? The reply came to Shirou just as swiftly.

"Partly because it was the last wish of a friend and partly because I wanted to help you."

If he was going about testing her, he could have been at least a little more subtle. Lucretia was a very good judge of character because of her long life. Shirou Emiya was not someone who was fitted for deceit and lies. Her expression softened.

"Let me ask you a question next then. If you are not a Campione or a god then what are you Shirou Emiya?"

"I am a Hero of Justice." The reply was delivered with such firm conviction that she could never doubt the answer, if only he wasn't squirming so much after saying it with such a straight face. His face was also as red as his hair.

"So you are Shirou-kun." She replied to him with an amused chuckle dissipating some of the tension. Shirou's shoulder sagged down a bit. It seemed that was something was not suppose to come it. The answer cleared all doubts of his intentions. Though the he may on her were not.

"Were you the one who had caused the explosion in the village?"

She looked at the physically young boy as his face twisted into a grimace.

"It may been my fault. Why were there in the first place Lucretia-san?"

"I was nearby and so, I was asked to confront the Divine Ancestor who had appeared in the area."

"Divine Ancestor?"

"Oh, it seems you are either from so far in the past that you do not know those terms or you are from another world, Shirou-kun" She could see the tell-tale sign of from her second guess, he really wasn't fitted for lying."But to answer your question, Divine Ancestors are former Earth goddesses who have been either defeated by the King of End or sacrificed for him.

Now my turn, Shirou-kun, what was that dagger you used?"

"It is a part of my magecraft. A word of warning, Lucretia-san, the magi of our world are a secretive bunch. Even I wouldn't want to be telling you the secrets to my abilities. All I can tell you is that I can create blades."

"Fair enough."He could create blades out of nothing? That was one impressive ability." Ask your question."

"Are you the standard of all magi in this world?"

"I wouldn't say standard per se. I am not a magi Shirou-kun, I am a witch."

"Then please tell me what the magi of this world are like."

The words he used seemed to emphasize he really did know next to nothing. It also emphasized how he did not come from this world. That was surprising. This could open up a whole new world. With that questions more and more questions were piling in her mind. She chose to answer Shirou's question and ponder on this later.

"The magi of this world, as you call them are those who have the ability to use what other humans would call supernatural abilities. This would include the manipulation of mana, qi, chi, or whatever terms you use for them. The magus of thisworld are what you call mages, witches, and martial artists."

She looked at Shirou, his eyes were drooping and he swaying from side to side. It seemed his body was not able to keep up with him. It seemed her initial panic was because of the lack of sleep. She had been too hasty in drawing a conclusion. But it all worked out. They both needed the rest. She would sleep a for an entire day to make for nearly a week of sleeplessness. If he was not what he seemed to be, she would probably be dead by now.

She had spent too much magical energy in trying to drive away the divine ancestor and healing the victims of that tragedy. Her mind didn't register fact that she was lying next to Shirou as she used him as a hugging pillow. She wouldn't mind even if she knew.

Shirou woke feeling very warm. There was also the fact that his face was buried in something so soft, distinct feminine scent invading his nose, as smooth long legs wrapped around him-

He opened his eyes that instant. He was stuck. Lucretia, like Rin, was a grabby sleeper. But Rin was a pervert, Lucretia was for the lack of a better words seductive. Luckily, his body was smaller and he had much much experience with grabby sleepers. He squirmed his way out of her embrace replacing himself with a pillow.

He breathed out a sigh of relief as he moved the blanket to cover Lucretia's body. She looked beautiful when she wasn't hiding herself behind that mature seductive mask. Shirou was not a very good liar but he was very good with telling apart lies.

The conversation they had last night, had earned her some of his trust. He could she was a good person through and through. It was just his deeply ingrained mistrust of magi in general that was preventing him from believing her fully, and with good reason. The questions he had asked were answered with the truth, but were those the full truth. He knew of the loophole of the pledge. Anyone with half a brain could see it.

Shirou, faithful as he was to his routine, went out for his daily exercise. His body was moving automatically as he began his warm-up.

There really were too many things to do and too little time. Maybe he could ask Lucretia for help... No, she had her own things to do. It was when he looked around that he noticed that he was running around town. He was not at the grasslands. He steered himself back, it was not good being out here by himself. It would look strange if the townspeople saw a small child jogging around town. As he neared the house he felt it, someone was observing the house.

Were they enemies? He calmed himself trying to locate their location without giving out that he knew they were there. Why could they be spying on the house? Was it him? No, it couldn't be. Lucretia confessed to him that they knew next to nothing about him. He may as have been just an innocent child who was caught up in the trouble. It was Lucretia-san they were targeting. They knew the location of her house. What were they observing her for. Maybe they were waiting, gathering their forces to attack.

No, he needed to calm down. He was being paranoid. But he couldn't stop himself. As a magus, he should expect the worst, Rin had hammered that lesson into him. He walked back to the gate and went inside. The bounded field just covered the property, it was simply a magic container. That was the best he could come up with until he modified it to include other functions. The other functions being more complicated to implement.

He stayed inside the yard to continue his exercises. He would have to ask Lucretia if she knew about those observers. Even now, he could feel the hair on the back of his head tingling as they continued spying on him.

"There are what?"

Shirou had chosen to ask him about the men who were observing the house right now just after she had brunch. He had to reheat the food for her. Another similarity Lucretia had to Rin was that they were night owls. They could stay up late at night but were lethargic as The Dead in the mornings.

"Calm down, Ruku-san. They are just observing. And can you please wear some proper clothes!"

Lucretia slumped in her chair. The organizations had moved faster than she expected. If she had to make a guess, it would be the independent mages of the Balkans. The larger organizations would have been more straightforward with her.

"Shirou, don't go out unless I allow you to, okay?"

"I can take care of myself." The physically five year old child looked too cute acting tough and pouting. Shirou didn't seem to notice he was doing it. He was just expressing himself honestly.

"No. Even if you can still get hurt."

"I know what I'm doing." Lucretia's face gained a pained expression. Shirou had to relent on this. He knew he could take care of himself. "Ok, ok. I wouldn't go out unless I'm allowed." Well he just try experimenting on his magecraft. If he couldn't go out. He had already started making the sigil for the bounded field in his room anyway.

"And can you please put some clothes on Lucretia-san!?" She was only wearing black lace panties and a polo shirt with the top unbuttoned revealing her cleavage. Shirou couldn't help but blush.

"Oh, like what you see? You're still so young yet you are already a pervert Shirou-kun. Whatever am I going to do with you?" Just like that, the subject was changed.

Shirou rushed out of the dining room before Lucretia could say anything worse.

A circle was drawn in the center of the room. The circle was composed of runes and symbols drawn using chalk. It was temporary, but he needed to do this.

Shirou slowly opened one magical circuit. The od pouring out of it was a flood. This was absurd. The od pouring out was more than what he could produce in the past even at full blast. And this was only from a single circuit.

"Structure Analysis"

He could see the web like patterns going all over his body. The results left him speechless. In the past he had the ability to produce 30 units of od in each circuit. With 27 magic circuits he had the output of 810 units of magical energy.

The current output he could produce from a single circuit was 945 units of od! This was totally ridiculous! He counted the number of magic circuits he currently had. And the results made him almost dizzy. He had 108 magic circuits all over his body. He could currently produce 102060 units of magical energy. That was more was about 2.5 times of what Rin could produce, and among magi, Rin was already a very powerful one.

What finally broke Shirou was when he noticed that the od he was releasing in each circuit was increasing!

* * *

-0-

"I'll be going to Nuoro City, do want to come?"

Lucretia found in his room drawing runes on the sigil. He looked like a child drawing chalk drawings on the floor. Except those chalk drawings were runes and symbols, mostly from the Norse, that's what Lucretia saw. It was a complex arrangement of writings and drawings.

"No... Ruku-san, can I ask you a favor?"

"What is it? Oh! Can it be!? You want my panties?"

"Wha- NO! I want to ask if I can make the room in the cellar a workshop! Stop making me sound like a pervert.

"Oh...What is a workshop?"

Shirou had been debating whether or not to ask her. His need had won out in the end.

"It is in our world, the heart of a magi's research. It is a sanctuary, where we practice and work on our magecraft."

"Sure. It is mostly unused except for a few barrels there."

"Thank you Lucretia-san. By the way, do you have any dresses that don't make you look like a, a you-know?

Shirou started fidgeting on the floor.

"A what Shirou-kun?"

Shirou groaned at this making Lucretia giggle. She was wearing a dress similar to a purple colored Grecian toga. Her cleavage was almost exposed with the a pin and brooch on her right shoulder. The cloth was lose exposing the middle of her back. The dress was being held up on her neck. In short it was a very feminine and showy version of a toga.

"A lady of the night, a whore, a slut."

"What crude mouth you have Shirou-kun. Little boys shouldn't be saying things like that you know. Whatever will this poor woman do if her soon grows up to be a barbarian."

Shirou just face palmed.

"What time are you getting back?"

"I'll be gone for most of the day. I might come back by noon or tonight. Make sure to stay inside will you?

Seemed the conversation was subverted from going further into embarrassing territories.

"Of course."

"I'll be going then, take care."

"Have a safe trip."

The sound of footsteps could be heard with the clacking of heels on the carpeted floor. It had been three weeks since his reincarnation into this world. It was a week a ago that Lucretia had initiated the first conversation they had. They had then had conversation every night after that. It was mostly him asking what this world was like and her asking about what he knew about the events that transpired after the fire.

Shirou had given most of what he knew but didn't give her a deeper explanation. He had told her the explosion in the village may have been caused by the excessive amount of prana or magical energy caused as a side effect of his reincarnation. He also explained he met a dragon in a dream-like state(in his reality marble) that told him of the coming chaos.

The magical organizations were seeking more power to assure their survival. Some would be desperate. Sooner or later, the larger organizations would form treaties and alliances stabilizing the peace. He had been feeling the surveillance on the house more and more which he hadn't told to Lucretia. He was curious about the ability of the magi in this world, if they did ever attack, he would just defend himself. The peace was grating on him. He was used to someone trying to kill him at least once a week and he was overdue.

It would also be better to have a show of power to prevent more of them from attempting to do anything serious. Showing too much power will draw the bigger game. Showing too little would be a sign of weakness.

Shirou was startled by the realization. It was not just his psyche that was changing. He was gaining pride. His behavior and attitude were slowly changing with the increase and growth of his power. He really needed time for himself. The memories from his alternate selves were being assimilated but more were getting lost. The rate of loss would increase until all of the memories that he hadn't taken for his own would disappear within 94 days.

The last few days were peaceful but still hectic.

Shirou felt a wire trip in his mind. His warrior persona took over immediately. It was an ability that he had mastered in most of the realities. It was also a standard ability for all magus. Hypnotism, or more specifically self-hypnotism in his case. The self-hypnotism would then create the persona he needed for the situation. His thought processes were formulating a hundred plans, all for either killing or capturing the interlopers.

The surveillance team had probably seen him for more than a week and had come to a conclusion on what they would do in the situation. They would kidnap him to try to force Lucretia into whatever nefarious situation they had planned for. But that also had a setback. They didn't know who he was. They were taking their chances that he would be enough to force a confrontation with Lucretia.

He had two options. Either he escape down the back into the stairs leading to the grassland below, or he would fight and kill the interlopers leaving a single one a witness to return to their headquarters as a warning. They were probably innocent people sent to capture him.

Evil is subjective. How can you even say you want to save everyone when you can't save and protect yourself and the people around you.

He listened to the voice in his head.

There were five of them. Just five. He felt annoyance, his dragon pride being bothered. Two of them were going up the stairs. One was searching in the kitchen the other was looking in the right wing. He trace a copy of a simple shortsword. With his short stature and small arms, the shortsword turned into a sword. His small size would work for him.

He hid himself behind the door. One of the men were going for his room. The other stood guard at the top of the stairs. Shirou reinforced his body. The man open the room with a gun lax in his hand. That was a mistake. Shirou immediately responded by shoving the shortsword in the man's back just above his waist. A thud could be heard as the man fell on his face.

The blood pooled under the man staining the wood red. Luckily there was no carpet inside the room or he would have one hell of day cleaning it.

"Luigi! What's taking you so long!"

The man's partner was shouting in the hallway. Shirou dropped the sword and kneeled taking a runner's stance at ready. The man peeked from the door and he lunged into the man's stomach. Shirou smashed him into the stone wall. He felt the man's ribs break and shatter as it puncture his lungs, his skull probably cracked from the impact with the wall. The man fell limply as Shirou let go of him. That was two down and three more.

What were they doing sending normal humans after him. They didn't even look like magi. No, this people weren't magi. A normal magi from his world wouldn't die just like that, though they could still be taken by surprise and killed.

There was a dent on the wall where he smashed the man. He needed more control over his newfound strength. It seemed even without reinforcement, he was still stronger than a normal man. The other two must have heard the sound of the scuffle.

Shirou walked to the top of the staircase looking down on the two men. One had a very large build with muscles bulging from his exposed arms and veins from his bald head. They were both wearing black. The musclehead wearing a muscle shirt, his companion was wearing a dark red vest over his black suit.

"So it's you, the target." The other man smaller man was silent as his companion spoke. "Come down here, kid. So we won't have to go get you from there."

"Okay." Shirou climbed into the railing near the stairs.

"What the- are you dumb!? Ki-" before the man could finish his sentence Shirou had already leaped down from the second floor to the first. His od overflowing, enabling him to use magic without a chant. A baseball bat appeared in his hands. He reinforced his limbs raising the bat in an overhead swing. Then smashed down into the man's skull obliterating his head. Blood exploded from where the head was supposed to be.

Shirou observed the other man. This two were the mages. He could smell the indistinct release of od from them. Had the magi of this world no control over their own magecraft? This was vexing. The other man was unarmed. Or he was until he spoke an incantation.

"Beast of the Night and hunters of prey, oh Lord of Wolves"

A black insignia floated in the man's back. Whatever it was, Shirou couldn't see it properly. It was being shrouded by magic.

"I beseech thee, answer to the covenant of blood

I am descendant of he who has partaken of the crimson feast"

Shirou was too fascinated by the display to attack. This would one of the few times he would see the magecraft of this world. This was a chance he couldn't pass up.

"This son of the traitor the traitor entreats you, Vígtönn Vargr."

A pair of bloody-soaked battle axe appeared in the man's hands. The man had a lean face and sunken cheeks.

"Who are you?" Shirou followed after him as they encircled each other. The bat in his hands dripping crimson liquid. The man sized him up, inspecting him like a wolf would its prey.

"I am Antonio Carlsinni, a leader of the Cult of Apostles, an organization that seeks to find aid from the Campione of the Balkans. Are you the apprentice of the Highest Ranked Witch on Earth?"

That was new. Lucretia never told him she was that important of a figure. No wonder they would become persistent in seeking her support. The man seemed to be taking him seriously at least, his dead companion made sure of that.

"Maybe I am. What do you want with me?" The suspiciously innocent question made the man wary.

"I would like you to come with me peacefully, there will be no harm done to you. This I swear."

"A promise from a traitor?"

Before the man could reply he was already springing forward swinging the bat which was too large for him towards the man's right side. The man didn't expect the strength behind the blow as he tried to parry. His arms were forced into the air. Shirou let go of his weapon and lifted his hands in posture that looked like he was holding a sword and was about to slash his enemy in half. And that he did. He traced a nodachi and slashed in to two halves.

The must have tried to cross his axes to shield but was unable to bring his arms up fast enough. The door opened behind him revealing the fifth man. He was wearing a repairman's blue overalls with a shirt under it.

This one was their driver and cover. The man saw the brutal scene inside and spilled what he ate this morning. Was that spaghetti sticking out of his nose? The man looked to be in his early twenties.

"You."

"Ye-yes. Please don't kill. I was just hired as the driver! I swear! I have a family-"

Shirou believed the frantic man. There was no greater motivator than fear, but the man may also have lied to live. Whatever the case he needed someone to get the corpses out.

"Get the placed cleaned up and you can go." His warrior persona taking over, Shirou intimidated the man to further put his message across to whoever sent them. He traced five blades in the air behind him for effect. The man pissed himself. Maybe he had gone teeny bit too far.

Shirou watched over the man as he cleaned up the corpses dumping them into the cleaning crew van. He could see the man's face was turning green from gathering the last man's body parts. Just as Shirou was waving van goodbye, Lucretia's car sped into view. He had some explaining to do. And cleaning. He had much cleaning to do.

* * *

-0-

The night was dark, the moon was black and clouds covered the skies. A figure was on the ground inside Ryuudo Temple. It was a woman. A beautiful purple haired woman. She was wearing a black jacket and a grey shirt. She had tight fitting washed out jeans on. It may have looked like she was playing on the dirt. But she was not. A deranged expression was on her face. Her eyes were blank and lifeless.

"Don't worry senpai. I'll be there for!"

"You won't have to be alone. And I won't have to share you with anyone."

She was drawing a magical circle over the same area where they had done the ritual for Shirou over five months ago.

"You will be mine senpai!"

"Mine, mine, mine, mine. Mine. Mine! MINE!"

"You will be all mine. You will just to only look at me senpai. You can't get away from me senpai."

There was a black miasma surrounding her, twisting the air with its malice.

"I will have you senpai. And no one can stop me."

"I'll follow you and you won't have to be alone!"

"We'll be together forever and ever senpai. So just wait for me a little longer."

Her insane ramblings could be heard in the silence of the night. Blood coated the ground around her. A body could be seen a few distances away from her. The body had a head of white hair.

Hours later, when the clock struck midnight, a white light pierced the clouds above Fuyuki city.

* * *

-0-

A.N./

Man, it was fun writing this.

The story development is goin soo sloow.

Notes:

1- The UBW aria is being used to frequently it's starting to get overrate. So let's abuse it until its dead!~ Shirou's going to have a new aria anyways.

2-High School DxD's rip-off? You don't say~. Gaericus was the name of the first emperor who united the empires in Berserk. Balerion is the largest and most ferocious of Aegon the Conqueror's dragons. There are dragons? Meh~

3-Romanji for Lucretia was Rukurechia, that's where I took the nickname. I mean, her name is too long!

4-Napoli(Naples), I don't know how long a trip by plane is. Neither do I know for boats. By planes, I mean amphibious biplanes.

5-Yes fifth, the fifth Campione, Black Prince Alec, became a Campione after the turn of the millennium. He is one of the New Generation Campione.

6-Well letter were still the formal mode of communication during the late 1980's.

7-I kept replaying the anime for a description on the backyard of the house but I can't find anyway to describe it. I checked Google, I checked the light novel, and I rechecked and rechecked and rechecked the anime. No luck so please bear with my pathetic writing skills. I mean, I am still a noob. Throw me a rotten egg~

8-This was the plot of another story that was buried in the plot graveyard.

9-I don't think electric stoves were available during the 1980's in that little town of Sardinia. Heck I don't even think there was electricity in there during that time. They were obviously using candles as lighting in the anime. Urghhh. Let's just go with the gas stove. Besides the reason that it's annoying scrubbing black bottomed pots...

10-I couldn't find the old norse for fang. This was the nearest I could get. This would probably translate to Wolf Fang. I'm not google.

*I think I've crammed all the world building materials into this one chapter. But I really wanted to do that. I mean, I want to establish the base rule of the world before moving on with the plot so bear with it.

**There will be no battles or fight until chapter 5, I think. Boring right~. I don't want to rush it though. The development is sooo slooow. But I can't do anything about it. Unless I do something similar to "A Demon Lord's Hero" which was written by "Fahad09" wherein the elements of the world were not explained in the story but separated. I'm not that skilled that. Oh well, I'll go with what I do best and just wing it~

***I made another mistake in here. I just don't know where it is. Oh well

Re-edit January 12, 2017

This chapter had more than just minor edits, I altered and added to the Dragon's motivations on this chapter. Just a bit.


	3. Witch's Apprentice(End of an Era)

A.N./

I'm gonna try to do try 'show, not tell' style. Anyone whoever read Mushouko Tenshi, that's what I'm trying to imitate. But it will be just a pale imitation. Lol. I mean, hey I'm an amateur writer. And I'm just writing for fun.

To the guy who P.M. me about how I should write the story, no. I'm writing this for my "own" fun. Not yours. I can't satisfy everyone, so I'll satisfy my own imagination. I will write this story in my own pace.

Well anyway, I'm still trying to stay fateful to Nasuverse. I'm taking elements from both worlds as a base for my lore. Please bear with the slow development. I'll try to get the answer and conclusion into the story as soon I possibly can anyway.

BTW, this story started 17 years from Campione canon Timeline if I put the events of when Godou becoming a godslayer in the year 2006. I think it 2006 when those square foldable phone's became a fad. So yeah. I'm not perfect. I don't know everything.

This chapter was too short even for my taste. There were circumstances. "It will be fun", they said. "There will be drinks", they said. Well so much for the trouble, it got me a black eye and bruised cheeks. Yay for slugfest~ Yay for hot headed drunks and hangovers~

Re-edit:01/02/17 - A correction on something. It's there if you find it. We will be loyal to 'canon' as much as possible!~

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot of this story.

* * *

 **Chapter 3**

Five figures were seated in a long table facing each other. The room was dark and the light was only concentrated on the tables. The table could fit twelve people but it had only eight seats, three seats were empty. At the end of the table, a nervous sweating man was standing. He was chosen by the others to report on the failure of the mission in Sardinia.

"Was Sir Antonio's weapon retrieved?"

"N-no sir. The driver only came back with the corpses." Each second he was standing was making him sweaty.

The smallest figure smashed his hands on the table.

"That incompetent fool! I should have been the one who went there."

"Then why didn't you go Sir Caderouse?"A feminine voice asked.

"That is enough, now is not the time to be bickering. You, "the figure seated at the head of the table pointed at the subordinate. "will find out everything you can about that child. Report to us everything you can find. Withdraw the surveillance from Oliena, but keep your men at ready. Tell the new leader of the Cult of the Apostles to come here in an hour."

"Yes Lord!"

"You are dismissed." The man almost sprinted out of the room.

"What do you think about this Sir Castor?" The silent figure by his right spoke with soft word and a measured manner.

"I think. I think we should withdraw the men from Sardinia. The Black Copper Cross and the Bronze Copper Cross may already have been alerted by our attempt. It is wiser to send an emissary to control the situation. Someone who is also talented in espionage and information gathering. If that person is also able to get close to the Witch's apprentice, then all the better."

"I agree with Sir Castor." The figure on the left of the leader affirmed.

"Of course you'll agree to everything he says Sir Fleur." The feminine voice teased seemingly implying something.

"Who do you suggest we send?" The figure seated on the head asked them.

"Sir Castor's apprentice seems ready. This can be her first mission, it would also be a test for her." The smallest figure suggested.

"This mission is too important to send an amateur." Sir Castor interjected.

"Do you doubt you apprentice then Sir Castor?" The only female among them asked.

"I merely stated that she has no prior experience Lady Vashti."

"Why don't we ask the Professor for one of his hirelings?" Sir Fleur suggested.

"The mercenaries? Bah, you're going to ask an outsider for help?"

"They may be mercenaries Sir Caderouse, but they have done us the most help. Most of the missions that you have failed were left to the mercenaries."

"You saying something flower boy?"

"I will not have you insulting the name of my House, midget."

"That is enough Sir Caderouse, Sir Fleur. Sir Castor?"

"The former Sir Antonio's squire, she is well capable of handling something like this. Most of the missions she has accompanied Sir Antonio in have always been brilliantly accomplished. She is talented and able to adapt to any situation due to her background. She is also quite young. If we are to find someone who could attempt to get close to the Witch's apprentice, she is the one who has the greatest chance of success." Sir Castor suggested.

"But how would you deal with the situation if she decides to kill the apprentice instead? Sir Antonio was like a second father to her, he was the one who took her in after Sir Garrett's betrayal. The witch's apprentice was the one who killed, the man she calls father."

"She does not have to know. Of course. The information can be controlled. There are only three people outside of this room who know of the person who killed Sir Antonio. We can also immediately release the news that someone had tried to kidnap his apprentice. This way we are the one who will control the rumors. If the other organization heard it later, they might panic and try to send their own emissaries later. It is improbable that we are to be blamed for all of this. Sir Antonio was not a warrior, but he was no fool either. He would not have revealed anything to important to anyone about the mission."

"You are a very shrewd man, Sir Castor."

"I will take that as a compliment Lady Vashti."

"Do you all agree to Sir Castor's suggestion?"

"I will yield to Sir Castor's suggestion."

"Very well, I will agree on the condition that I am allowed to meet her of course."

"I will, but if that squire fails, I'll be the one to decide her punishment." The small figure gained a lecherous grin.

"A decision has been reached. On the behalf of the two missing members, and with all of your agreement, we will be sending Maria Carssinni to Sardinia. This I declare as the leader of the Circle of the Black Knight."

The leader finished the formality.

"Now unto, the other topic. The prophecy of the end of Eras."

* * *

"So can you explain why there's a bloodstain on the carpet, Shirou-kun?"

"It wasn't my fault. The other man spilled it." Lucretia sighed.

Shirou was sitting in a high chair in the kitchen while Lucretia looked down at him.

"I thought you told me you built that bounded field that tells you when there are people of ill intent in here? Why didn't you just hide?"

"Uhm, it was troublesome?"

"Shirou-kun."

"Yes Ruku-chan?"

"You are banned from the kitchen until I say so." Shirou looked like a child who had his favorite toy taken away. The sight almost made Lucretia revoke her decision. He was devastated. Lucretia had received the telepathic message from her cat familiar, Kuro.

She had gone to the post office in the city to send a letter to her friend in Japan. She had also gone there to buy some things.

As Shirou was sulking in his chair, Lucretia made an announcement. "We will be having a guest staying with us, they'll be arriving by Friday. That's six days from now."

Shirou's curiosity was piqued.

"Who?"

"A friend of mine. And she'll be bringing her apprentice."

"A friend of yours?..."

"Shirou, you are not thinking some rude are you?"

"Of course not! I mean, I was just thinking you look really young and beautiful. And young." Shirou drew back from her.

"So I look young and beautiful?"

Shirou nodded his frantically. "Oh, it seems you learned you lesson from that time." Shirou shivered from the memory of what she had done to him after he had called her old again. Twice. "Because I'm being lenient, I'll allow you in the kitchen if you finish washing all the bloodstains of the carpet by dinner. We will be talking about this later when I come back."

Shirou watched as she skipped away to where ever she was going. Women were weak to flattery, that was what Rin had taught him. When she wasn't in her tsun-tsun mode.

There was work to do. He went to the laundry room at the back of the kitchen. He'd need bleach and a scrub. If he could find bleach.

* * *

After a sumptuous dinner, cooked by Shirou, they had gone to Lucretia's study. They had developed the habit of going there after dinner to discuss.

"So what can you tell me about the magic of your world?"

"Let me think. Magic is what we call as Sorcery or True Magic. I think what you are referring to is magecraft."

"What's the difference?"

"Let me answer your first question before we go there. Magecraft or Thaumaturgy is the reenactment of Mysteries, or miracles. Mysteries are but a fragment of the many types of power that comes from the Root. Magecraft in magi terms are what can be achieved scientifically with money and time. Some mysteries have been lost with time as humans gained the knowledge and ability to enact them. Flying for example, was once a mystery. Humans didn't have the ability to fly, with the invention of blimps, and airplanes, the mystery of flight was lost."

"Well, why was it lost?"

"In my former world, resources were limited. Even the mysteries. The more people who use the same mystery, the weaker it becomes. The more unique a mystery is, the stronger it is. That's what the magi of our world zealously guard their own secrets, even amongst family, friends or lovers."

"That's... a very grim outlook."

"Well, the magi of my world aren't particularly good people. Some magi would even consider the experimentation of pregnant women and newborn children to be the norm if it were to advance their thaumaturgy. They aren't the most ethical people." Shirou had a dark expression on his face as he remembered the worst of the things that he had seen. Even in other realities, magi were mostly the same. Shirou shaked the thoughts out.

"Anyways, what we call Magic, True Magic or Sorcery are purely different things. The practitioners of True Magic are very few and can only be counted on one hand, there are actually only three known practioners of it. I personally know two of them. There are also other people who have come close to achieving True Magic. There are "Five Modern True Magics" that are known. The users of the True Magics are monsters for a lack of better word."

"What are those five?"

Shirou scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "I actually only know three of them. Those three were also used when I was reincarnated into this world. What I know of are the Second, Third, and Fifth Magic. The second Magic is named as Kaleidoscope or the Operation of Parallel Worlds. Ruku-san, are you okay?"

Lucretia was aghast.

"You mean other worlds? There are more worlds out there?"

"Well yes, I know of the master of the Second Magic. She was my first wife's teacher."

"So what do you mean control of the parallel worlds?"

"It's like I said, the master of the Second Magic can travel to parallel dimensions, he can take power from other dimensions and use it the current world, and he also has the ability to take knowledge from other dimensions."

"So you mean to say is, if there was a world where weapons of mass destruction were made. He can take the knowledge from that world and use it in his world?"

"Yes."

"That is the most ridiculous thing that I have ever heard of in my long life Shirou-kun. So how about the other two magics?" Lucretia seemed both astounded and excited by the prospect of the knowledge.

"The Third Magic is called Heaven's Feel, it's the materialization of a soul. With... it is possible to return a dead being back to life." Shirou paused before continuing, he didn't want to elaborate on it. The third magic had been a curse to him, the Holy Grail, Illya's condition and Saber... Lucretia seemed to have accepted that more easily. Maybe there were magic in this world that could do just that, return back the dead.

"The Fifth Magic or more known as "The Blue" is the domain of Time Travel. Aoko said that it was more than that and was also related to the Second Magic but she didn't say anything about it."

"Aoko?"

"Ah, my second wife. Aoko Aozaki."

"Oh my Shirou-kun, what a lecherous man you have been. Hn, from now on I will be disciplining you to so that you will not grow up to be that kind of man. After all, what kind of mother would I be if let my son grow up to be such a wolf."

"Say's the woman who doesn't even know how to dress properly."

"What was that Shirou-kun, I seemed to have misheard you say something?"

"I mean, I'll try my best Okaa-san!"

Lucretia blushed at those words as she squirmed in her seat while hugging herself. She was strange that way.

"What about the magic of this world?"

"Well, the magic of this world mostly depend on calling the blessing and curses from the divinities. Your magecraft is quite interesting. Can you tell me more about it?" As a witch who had lived for so long, the prospects of new ways to use magic without invoking the influence of the gods would go a long way.

"Uhm, I don't think I can tell you much about my magecraft Lucretia-san. It's not that I don't want to tell you, it's just that, I'm a third rate magus. I can very barely pass as a second rate magus when I use my... more esoteric abilities. What my magecrafts are projection, reinforcement and a few things I learned here and there."

Shirou was hesitant to give too much information, probably the hours and hours Rin had spent hammering the attitude into him.

"Well I can use the most basic of magecraft from other branches, the branch I'm part of is the Transmutation of Materials." Shirou traced a copy of Torashinai. The weapon leapt into his hand. He still couldn't get use to how easy it was to use his magecraft. He traced another copy of Torashinai. Until something odd happened, the Torashinai in his right hand shattered into motes of light then reappeared in his left hand. Shirou took note to look at it later. That was strange.

"Anyway, the things I make using my magecraft would still disappear in time. Though in this world without Gaia's interference..."

"Shirou?"

"Huh? Why didn't I think of that. Gaia has no interference because the system is different." Shirou leapt around the room excitedly. He hadn't had time practice his abilities so he thought of it.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, in my former world, the world was controlled by the system of the Root."

"What is the Root?"

"Let me explain, the Root, in my world is the origin of all things. It powers the theories in all dimensions. Gaia is the Will of the Earth. It opposes all change and returns the earth to what it was. The opposite of it is Alaya, the Will of Humanity. Humanity symbolizes change. Gaia and Alaya take their power from the Root. This world works under a different System."

"Well what I'm trying to say is, my magecraft is more effective in this world." Shirou excitedly flared his power with three of his circuits opening. Weapons after weapons appeared in front of him. Lucretia could feel the air getting saturated by the power each weapon held. She didn't know what they, but she was sure this were very powerful weapons.

Again, something strange happened, the System that abided the laws of the world seemed to be affecting him. He had tried to trace two copies of the same sword but they both shattered. He traced the same sword again, then traced an altered copy of it. The earlier copy shattered. It seemed he couldn't trace more than one copy of the same weapon. He also didn't know about his more powerful weapons. The System governing the world was controlling his power. He would ask the dragon about this later. It had been more than a week ago since they had a conversation anyway.

* * *

A woman in her early twenties was standing at the deck of a ship. Beside her was a child who was holding a wooden sword. The woman, looked very attractive with her dark skin and long black hair. Her hair was tied in a ponytail. One could say she had awe-inspiring and heroic beauty. The boy beside her was a blonde with blue eyes.

"So who is this friend of yours, Raffaello-sensei?"*

"A witch."

"So why are we going to her place? I thought you were gonna train me?"

"I was, but I heard some troublesome news."

"So why are you going if it's troublesome."

"Because training you is more troublesome that's why. Now shut up and go bother someone else."

The woman had time to think as the boy left to what she had just said. He was an idiot. But he was genius idiot. The boy had great potential for the sword, he was a once in a hundred years prodigy. She could already see it. It would probably take less than a year for him to master all of the sword skills she had. Maybe less.

The news she had heard from the Capital of Lilies was that an organization had tried to kidnap the witch's apprentice. She hadn't even heard Lucretia had taken a disciple. She, just like Lucretia, was far older than she looked. They both retained their youth by virtue of reaching the greatest and purest heights of their magical power. These phenomenon was particularly more potent in women.

She could see the apprentice for herself. Someone who would interest that witch would also be bound to catch her interest.

* * *

What was a wolf doing inside his reality marble? This really was starting to get ridiculous. First the dragon, and now a wolf? The wolf was eight times his height. It had a mixture of gray and silver fur. On its collar was blood red for that also went down its spine to its tail. It was tense and was growling at the dragon. When it saw him, it leapt straight for him. That almost gave him a heart attack, even for one so young. The wolf licked him all over with its tongue like a dog.

"Down boy! Down!" Shirou stood up panting. The dog/wolf was on its haunches with its tail straight and swinging energetically. "What is a wolf doing in my reality marble?"

The dragon lifted its massive head from where it was coiled. "It was a spoil of war. The previous owner died. Who better to deserve it than the one who had slain its previous master?"

"So the guy who I sliced in half had a giant wolf as a pet?"

"Are you really that dim, Hero? Even this ancient could tell it is a weapon. That so called wolf is a weapon, it has the attribute of a minor god of steel, who had chosen you as its new master. That thing is but a fragment a of monstrous beast."

"Huh? Weapon? You mean the guy's axe? But it disappeared when I picked it up. So it went straight into my reality marble?"

"You are acting like fool, Hero. The weapon went into your soul. Most of the mages of this world know not where the weapons are stored if they are unsummoned. They think that it goes into a dimensional pocket. That is the stupidest thing I had ever heard. One does not simply use and create pocket dimensions. Even with the gods of this world, very few are able to do so."

"So you are Drachentöt-"**

"Do not say it's True Name you foolish Hero. Even with its fragmented piece, it has enough power to devour even you if you are not careful. Saying an objects True Name can invoke its power. That weapon as a cursed one. Even the very Origins reject it, all the systems find it revolting. That weapon, if all the fragments are gather and the blade reforged, can destroy a world with the right user, Hero. That is the true strength of that weapon."

Shirou didn't know if that was a good thing or bad thing. He had a weapon that could consume his soul just by saying its name. Yay! On the bright side it was the shard of a potentially world destroying weapon! Yay! Not. He'd rather destroy it.

"I'll call you Vol then." The wolf seemed to approve of the name as it ran around him. "Here boy, catch!" The wolf ran off to get the staff that was thrown. It would be a while before it would return.

"I would like to ask a question Gaericus-san."

"Ask away Hero, satisfy your hunger for knowledge."

"Is it possible to destroy that weapon without any adverse effects?"

The dragon looked at him incredulously. Then laughed out loud. Shirou covered his ears but it was ineffective in blocking the roaring laughter.

"You really are an interesting one, Hero. You are given a piece of a very powerful weapon, instead of asking where and how you can find the other pieces you ask this ancient one if it can be destroyed?" The dragon's amused chuckle resounded.

"I'd rather not have something like that."

"You cannot destroy it. It is tied with a contract to your soul. You can either destroy the system to remove the contract or you can ask the weapon if it will agree to annul the contract. Both are impossible."

Shirou sighed heavily.

"I thought so... Uhm, Gaericus-san, I noticed something when I was practicing my magecraft. I can't summon a weapon of the same type into the world at the same time."

"That would be a work of the System. This world's System is more inclined towards the Origin of Law. The rules are harder to break in this world. Incidentally, if you do something that this world doesn't approve of, it might erase you as an anomaly."

"Why didn't you think to tell me this sooner?"

"This ancient one does not think you are stupid enough to do something like that. Besides the fact that Heroes are bound to break the rules sooner or later. Heroes are anomalies of existence."

"I won't."

"You cannot be too sure Hero, this ancient one can tell that you are the stubborn kind."

"Are there anything of importance that you have not told me yet then?"

"Nonsense! I have always told you when you asked." Shirou snorted at that.

"Hmm, maybe this ancient one should tell you this then. For this emperor has seen the weapons that are binded to your soul hero, you may not be able to use them as often as you think you can."

"And what do you mean by that?"

"This so called noble phantasm of your are recognized by the world as Authorities. The system of this world has chained you down it seems."

"Authorities?"

"Abilities Campione have usurped from the Heretic Gods they have slain."

"So how long will I have to wait if I use a noble phantasm?"

"You know the answer to that question Hero. Now be gone before this one's patience is tested. That mutt of yours has been nothing but a bother. Summon it in the physical plain to remove it from this one's presence. If you will not, then this one will. I am need of my rest."

Shirou twisted the space within his reality marble. The wolf appeared in front of him with the staff in its jaws. Shirou opened his eyes from the meditative state. So that was what was causing it.

* * *

"What's that?" Shirou looked at Lucretia pointedly.

"What do you mean Shirou-kun?" Lucretia asked innocently, seriously, it was so easy to fluster him.

"What are you wearing? I thought we were just going to the town market!?"

Lucretia was wearing another one of her very revealing clothes. She was wearing a jacket with a very thin white shirt under it. Her bra was almost visible on the outside. She was also wearing very short short's that was bordering on the obscene.

"Of course we are. Do you think it's not good enough?" She posed with her finger on her puckered lips.

"Argh!" Shirou just looked away and got into the two-seat car. It was better to ignore this woman's antics or it would drive him insane. Both options were impossible. Lucretia just giggled at this. Making the red headed child blush was just adorable. Even he said he was a reincarnated soul, he still looked and acted like a child sometimes.

Lucretia parked the car a few distances away from the town market. She held on to Shirou's hands, leading the way. They stopped at a fish stall

"Ah, we haven't seen you in a while Miss Zola." A large man moving a crate stopped working. It was a beg bellied man in his mid thirties sporting a bushy beard. "So what can I get? Ti's season this year's been good to us. We got the fresh un's jus not." the man wiped his hands with a dirty cloth. "Oh who's this?"

"My son of course, his father has passed on..."

While they were conversing, Shirou was already checking out the fish. It was as the man said. They had a large variety to choose from. Choosing ingredients is as important as the cooking process itself. To create a good dish, you need good ingredients. Though he could always make do with what he had, it was always better to have a fresh quality ingredients. He held two fishes by the tail looking them over.

"You got an eye for quality there bouya."

"The scales look sparkling and the eyes look clear." He touched it the flesh confirming the firmness of the fish. Shirou look over them with a critical eye. "We'll be taking this ones."

The man seemed surprised by that.

"His father has been teaching him how to cook. I think he is just excited to try that new dish of his."

"You seem a li'l to young to be in a kitchen."

"Oh he is a prodigy with those little hands of his." Shirou caught the innuendo but just didn't acknowledge it. He was busy looking around the market.

"Can you please help me put this ones on the car, it's a bit far from here."

"Of course, of course." The man had a large grin on his face.

They completed their trip around the market by mid morning. The townspeople were amicable to them. It looked like Lucretia was quite the figure around here. Shirou was skipping happily along, he didn't notice it though. He was too busy thinking of all the things he could cook. He stopped on his tracks when his thoughts strayed somewhere else. He was the one who always did most of the cooking in the house back then.

He would always bring Miyuki-chan when he went to the market. He had been too busy setting himself down to think of his family. Rin would strangle him would her bare hands if she knew he wasn't already working on that mystic code. It was one of the reason it had taken them so long to prepare. Rin had created a device to enable a transport of data across dimensions. The data being in the form of objects.

It had taken them a vast amount of magical power to finish his ritual. It would take less to transport, say a journal, across dimensions safely. But it would still be a hefty amount. They had needed the energy that was pooled by the modified Holy Grail for fifty years. With his current od output and capacity, it would take make it less straining on him, also add the fact that the world didn't reject magecraft. Now he just needed a leyline and that mystic code. If he could somehow get a hold of a location with great concentration of mana, he would be able to use an insane of amount of prana. Though if that was enough, he wouldn't know. He would be able to write letters to his family back in his home world. The monstrosity of a mystical code in his basement in Fuyuki would do the rest.

"Lucretia-san."

"What is it sochi~?" She was still on high being praised for raising such a courteous and well mannered child.

Shirou sweat dropped at that.

"Uhm, do you know of any place where the mana is thickest in the world?"

"Thick mana? Well you can always go to one of the ruins south of here. There's a temple ruin's in that place, you can find it. It might be what you're looking for."

"Thank you."

"What for?"

"Nothing."

"You never did tell me about you family, Shirou-kun. Come on, tell me about them."

"Well... It was a small family."

"You have to be more specific than that."

Shirou may have not wanted to tell her. She was already doubting his honor and calling him a lecher. What would she say if he had three wives living with him. He never did say that he had separated from his first wife to be with his second wife. That was what would be implied. It was not that the information could put them in danger any way. What was the worst that could happen if he told her?

"I had four daughters."

"Aaand?"

Shirou gained a melancholic expression. Lucretia noticed this and made a move to stop where this might be going.

"I think you can tell me about them in your own time."

"No, it's alright. Well, there was Eris, my first child. She's had taken after her mother in the brains department. She's a genius, but she's just a little childish." Shirou paused. "Yes, she's like a girl in a woman's body. Then there's Hanabi, she's an adventurous woman, that one. She told me her dream was to travel and see all that the world could offer. She'd never stay put in one place but she did go back home every now and then. Then there's Taiga, we named her after her past aunt, my former guardian. You could say Taiga is the disciplinarian of the family. I don't know where she got that attitude though. She was a precocious one. But she looks so cute when she's scolding me trying to act all grown up."

Shirou looked depressed at that. Her sixteen year old daughter was able to scold him into submission. How sad. No scratch that, all the women in his life could scold and berate him. He didn't have any resistance. Why did he have three overpowered wives again? Oh right, it was fate screwing him over.

"Then there's Miyuki-chan. She's my last child. She's the innocent little girl who loves papa." Those thoughts made him a bit happier, then it turned into a downward slope again. "Then there were my wives."

"You had how many wives? Oh, I knew you were such a lecher Shirou-kun. What can I do to resist if you ever plan to add me to your harem."

The damned Root have mercy on his poor soul if that happened. It would be hell for him if Lucretia and Rin ever met. They both always went overboard when teasing him. Shirou ignored her and just went on.

"There was my first wife Rin. And she's a tsundere, also good to know that she'd kill me if she knew I told anyone that."

"What's a tsundere?"

He forgot that this world still hadn't known of "anime culture".

"A complicated woman who's a walking time bomb."

In another dimension, a little magus who was currently in a verbal spar with her most hated rival sneezed.

"Someone's talking something bad about me. Probably some of the magi I thrashed around from the Clock Tower. Hmm, improbable. I made sure to beat them enough they would have traumas just thinking of harming me. Someone who's brave enough to talk bad about me... SHIROU YOU BASTARD! I WILL HAVE YOU SKINNED IF I EVER SEE YOU!"

Shirou felt a very bone-chilling shiver. He needed to prepare something to offer to Rin if he ever met her again. As an offering to delay his imminent torture.

"Are you aright Shirou? Is it cold?"

"No, it's nothing Lucretia-san."

"Then tell me about your other wives." She was happy to know more about him. Now she had more materials to tease him with. Not that he'd know.

"Let's see, there's Aoko. She's a very honest woman. She was the one who taught me that it was alright to follow my dreams as long as I knew what was more important. Then there's Arcuide, we didn't quite part on good terms. She was sulking when I left..."

"I really do need to send that letter soon..."

"Hmm? What did you say Shirou-kun?

"It's nothing."

The ride home was silent. Since when had he started thinking of that place as home?

* * *

"Hey Lucretia! I know you can hear me. Open the gate!" Raffaello was shouting from the entrance.

"Are you sure there's anyone in there sensei?"

The door to the house opened revealing a little boy of about five or six years old. He had a short red hair and fair semi-tanned skin. He was wearing a shirt with stripe designs on it and a pair of shorts.

"I'm sorry. I was busy in the kitchen when I noticed you. Lucretia-san is inside."

"So you are her apprentice? Aren't you a bit young?"

"Who's apprentice?" The dark skinned woman asked. Shirou opened the gate to let them in.

Shirou didn't notice the wooden sword heading straight for his head. He traced Kanshou and Bakuya by instinct and blocked. The woman seemed shocked by her companion's actions.

"What are you doing you idiot!" She slammed a fist on Doni's head.

"Ouch! Sensei! That hurt!" The blond kid rubbed his head.

"I'm sorry abou- huh? So you really are her apprentice. Those are very beautiful blades." Raffaello closely examined the falchions in the child's hands. The swords looked almost identical. The swords looked too big and heavy on the little child's arms but he was able to wield them with ease. The sword in his right had a black tortoise like pattern and the other had a white wave pattern. Their beauty was captivating. What she also noticed was how fast the child summoned the swords.

Even for her it would take a little bit of preparation before she could summon Cuore di Leon and Il Maestro. The boy's stance was loose and open. It was full of holes inviting for an attack. But his reflexes were stunning. Before she could comment on it, the swords dissolved into motes of prana.

"I'm sorry." The red headed child bowed to them with his upper body in a diagonal position. "It was a reflex."

Rafaello imitated the bow and apologized. "Likewise, I apologize for my disciples actions." She held on to Doni's head and force him to bow.

"Ouch! Sensei, let go of me."

"You should be ashamed of yourself you idiot. You could have hurt him you know." Raffaello berated her unapologetic student.

"But he wasn't. Besides, I knew he could block that."

"What do mean you know he could block that. How could you have known?"

"It's quite alright miss..."

"Hi! I'm Salvatore Doni. Let's fight." Doni held his hand to the other child. Shirou could swear his eyes were shining. He looked like Illya when she found something very interesting.

"I'm talking to you, you idiot!" Raffaello slamed another fist into his head. "My name is Sofia Alfonsina, most people refer to me as Raffaello.^ You can refer to me as such." Her voice was one which demanded respect, her charisma was strong. It didn't seem to have an effect on Doni though. Shirou had met Saber, a king whose charisma had enabled her to lead and rally a kingdom embroiled in conflict. It didn't have much effect on him.

"I am Shirou Emiya. It is a pleasure to meet you both Raffaello-san, Doni-san." Shirou had been adamant on using his name. Though on paper his last name was Zola. His name held a value to him. "Let's go inside now shall we."

Raffaello examined the boy closely. There was something strange about the boy. Everything about him was strange, the way he spoke made it seem like he was conversing directly with her mind, those reflexes were also strange. It was not everyday she could meet someone so young who had the instincts of a fully matured warrior. He was able to block Doni's attack, that was something. The blonde kid could be an idiot, but he was a genius with the sword. She had never met anyone who had so much potential in one so young such as him. Until Shirou that is. She picked aside by the ear.

"So why did you attack him?"

"Eh? He is strong?" Raffaello narrowed her eyes at Doni's reply.

"How do you know that?"

"He moves just like you sensei. He also has this strange aura like sensei."

"Explain yourself."

"I don't know. He's just strong." Not that she was expecting him to be able to. He was an idiot like that, but genius idiot. Doni was a sword genius. She had met him when the child had gone around the area she was in. He had heard of her supposed skills with the swords and wanted to train under her. Doni, the idiot he was, went around swinging a sword at every woman he met. Even old women and little girls since he didn't know what she looked like. She stopped his wooden training sword mid swing.

He was a student training to be Knight Templar. He was taken in by a church when was younger. She didn't know much about him except that when she asked about his parents. She was planning on returning the kid to the church when heard the news of the attempted kidnapping. The child was so insistent on learning from her. Maybe she could spare a some time for the kid. As a swordsman, she wanted to see how far he could go.

Her mind wandered toward the other child. Lucretia's apprentice really was interesting. She didn't know about his ability but it was something to have such keen and sharp reflexes of a veteran swordsman. This child would be a monster when he grew up. She just knew it. Even she was envious of such skills with one so young. Was this the new generation? Were this children the ones who would be fighting in Armageddon? The end of this Age?

They followed the child inside the house. She had much to contemplate on.

"So this is the witch's apprentice?" A young girl in her early teens was holding a picture. The picture was that of a red headed boy with golden brown eyes. They were inside a car with tinted windows.

"Yes. The higher ups have given you the orders to try to get closer to the boy. Find out anything you can about him. You are also to observe the witch. Report anything unusual happening. We are to prevent other organizations from gaining her loyalty."

"What's so special about the boy anyway?" The thirteen year old girl looked at his companion. The man in the driver's seat was a man in his thirties.

"That is for us to find out." The man said in his gravelly voice. "Here, read the files on him. You already about the witch don't you?" He handed her a thin folder. Inside was his records from the hospital he had stayed from.

"Shirou Emiya Zola, age five. Oriental features, golden brown eyes, red hair." She skipped the health details going straight for the notes. "Was received in the hospital with various wounds and burns. Had a miraculous recovery. Discharged from the hospital after a week. Adopted by Lucretia Zola. Is assumed to be an orphan from the orphanage in the town of Cercola *^. A survivor of the fire that consumed a village. That's it?"

"That was all they could find on him. You'll to work hard to find anything. The higher ups say he's our key to gaining the Witch of Sardinia's loyalty."

The girl looked at the picture again. Her face was hidden by the hat she was wearing.

"Let's see what you have for me little boy."

* * *

*I tried using the title sensei for this, I know it might sound strange for saying that but come-on. It is an anime. I mean, I could go with Doni calling her Teacher, but no. I could also go with Doni calling her by just her name, but no.~ So I'll go with this. There was also no mentioned relationship between Lucretia and Saint Raffaello, either in the anime or LN. And also, Raffaello took Doni as a student when he was far older in canon. It think he was near his twenties during that time. He was far more skilled when he had learned from Raffaello, so it would take him longer to learn most of what she could teach. So let's just go with this.

** Drachentöter is Dragonslayer in german, Gut's sword from Berserk. I mean that sword is badass as fuck. Here's the best thing I can come up with its description. I based the format on "A Demon Lord's Hero" by "Fahad09" work. The stat EX has an explanation later in the story. The fragmented Dragonslayer idea was from Highschool DxD. Anyway True Names concept is from Eragon. If you know the person's True Name you can command them. It's in the book. Well I was unsatisfied by the ending though. I mean, what the hell you limp d*cked main character! I'm editing the concept here though.

^ Saint Raffaello's real name is unknown. It wasn't in the LN. I took the liberty of choosing her a first name. I just assumed that Raffaello is her last name. Oh let's just go with that.

Re-edit: Tnx for that... What's with the last name? Please don't ask me about that. I tried to think up a last name, I couldn't. I gave up before I even begun...

*^ Cercola was the only town I could think of. I'm sorry people of Cercola, but I burn a village of yours for the story's progression.

Name: Vigtonn Vargr

Type: Anti-Unit

Rank: D

One of the thirteen fragments of Dragonslayer.

It is also known as "Fang of the Wolf". It is a unique sword which strength was weakened when it gained an attribute of divinity. According to its Myth, "Fang of the Wolf" was a descendant of Fenrir, devourer of worlds. Vigtonn Vargr was forged from the fallen fragment of Dragonslayer.

The bladed edge of the axe has the ability to slice through any steel and weapons equal or lower to it. It can also slice through any armor or shield as long as it does not outrank it. But its use would be greatly weakened if is used against a weapon of higher rank. The weapon may not even respond to the of summons if the user is facing an enemy with a weapon of the A-rank. It is a weapon that faithfully follows the rules of the pack.

Its history was a bloody one, as all weapons have. But this weapon is significantly bloodthirsty because of tasting the blood of its unworthy owners. When the shard was first reforged into the twin axes, the blacksmith admired the result so much he didn't want to sell it. But he weapon was already paid, the man who had bought killed the blacksmith with the same axes after his refusal.

This blade can take different forms according to the attitude and personality of the user. It mainly takes the form of a Viking war axe. This blade only obeys the strong. If it does not like its owner, it may cause his/her downfall by drawing on the negative forces. This would cause bad luck on the victim.

Name: Dragonslayer

Type: Anti-Unit

Rank: EX

A weapon that was used by a mortal man during the existence of the old "System". It was continuously cursed by the ghosts, demons, and an evil spirits it has killed. Because of the curses piled unto it, it is able to slay all kinds of beings. It had tasted the blood of an Apostle, and craved it. The weapon takes the form of large greatsword. The weapon was said to have been used to slay a dragon after it was made thereby earning its name. During the it's time with the greatest wielder of the sword, it had tasted the blood of the gods. The blade tasted the blood and since then craved for more.

The weapon can slice through any armor, flesh, form, or weapons if the wielder has enough strength. The weapon's strength depend on the strength of its wielder. If used by a being who is able to resonate with it and has enough power to do so, it can even slice through space itself. If the user is particularly skilled, it can slice space to create a portal through any space. Because of the strength of will and mind of the original wielder, this weapon was able to slay a True God. By slaying the True God, the original wielder died. But his spirit lives on in the blade.

The original user of the blade was known as the "Berserker". It was the state the original wielder was able to use enabling him to break his limits at the cost of his sanity. This state gave birth a spirit that has inhabit this blade since. It is able to allow the user to enter a state of "Berserk".

If the user of the blade is on a quest of vengeance, the weapon will assist its master strengthening him. It will then imbue the user, the ability to reach impossible heights. This is in respect to the strongest wielder of this blade.

Happy New Year! To those on the other side of the globe. Wait, I think it's us who'll be having the earlier new year. Meh, Happy New Year to Europe and Africa.


	4. Burden of Power(End of an Era)

A.N./

To people who enjoy this story. Cheers~ cause I enjoy writing it too.

I'm repeating this again. I just writing this for the fun of writing it. Oh, and its rated M for a reason. I might be writing expicit, brutal, and oh so cruel scenes but bear with it.

I thought of the story in advance and I've already mapped the first Arc of this. Most of the things I've written are there for a reason. Just read between the lines or something.

Anyway most of the story is planned for already. By the way, I totally loath flashbacks and interludes. There are none in this story, this is the natural flow of it. The seeming flashbacks will be in the forms of stories, dreams or memories.

My sentence transitions still suck...and I've got shitty naming sense. I'm sorry~. Oh well. I had to rewrite this chapter at least twice until I was barely satisfied with the result. The plot and character development will go oh so slow. I'm focusing on establishin the base first.

Thanks for reviews btw~... Man, sorry haven't read on those yet. Just startin now... Just a few comments on the revies

Nyesh- Nope, Sakura isn't going to be some murderous Yandere, yada yada. I've got plans for all that.

SkarnkaiLW- Thanks for the info anyways. That comment got me thinkin on somethin

Madnesss- Lemme think bout' it

Someone mentioned Miyu, she's gonna appear. I mean, all the worlds are connected in some way. Arg, dont know how to explain this just wait for it.

Is Shirou gonna become a Campione? It's a surprise in the story

Thanks for the reviews...

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot of this story.

* * *

 **Chapter 4**

An army was amassed before them. In the distance was a tower that could pierce the heavens. Its crystal spires shining like a beacon of light. Barriers of visible light were erected. The tower was built to the likings "The Tower of Babel of his world". It was a device built by the kings of men to reach the Swirl of the Root. The so called "wise men" had predicted their coming. The tower they had built was a bridge to Akasha. They had rallied men from all over the world for this moment.

Alaya responded with her beasts. They had rallied men from all over the world for this moment. They did not what kind of enemy was to come. But the kings of men knew they would come. Past kings had attempted to the same. Only, they were less prepared. This time they had three hundred years of preparation. It was the dream of the kings from the past. It was a dream the kings of men of the present had inherited. They would a build a bridge to 'paradise'.

But no army of men nor beast could stop them. They were the Counter Guardians. And one of this monster had been summoned to stop their attempt. A white haired man appeared in the battlefield. He clad in a coat of red and armored in black. The armies of men attacked him. They fired all manners of magic and projectiles unto the monster. The monster neither noticed nor cared for their futile attempt. A seven petalled shield appeared in front of him. The arrows, fireballs, rubble and every attack they threw didn't even penetrate the first petal of the shield.

The Counter Guardians were not called the Beast of Alaya for no reason. Their will was not their own. They were known as the Protectors of Balance. Monster that were powered by Alaya. Alaya whose power was derived from the Root.

The skies blackened and the gray clouds thickened. It was the sign of a coming storm. It was a force of nature. It was the power of a Counter Guardian. With the first drops of rain came the shower of blades. The armies were crushed and destroyed in all but a moment. But they did not know the monster neither felt joy nor sadness. Neither did one of the monster feel anger. No.

The monster cried with tears of blood. The white haired monster with eyes of silver cried. But he could do nothing. He wanted to save these people. The monster with steely silver eyes attacked with twin swords of black and white. The cries of butchered men echoed in the battlefield. The monster would not stop until all traces of the things that breathed were eradicated. He could not choose who he killed. He had no choice. The twisted irony of his dream. To save everyone. In his journey to save everyone, he could not even save himself.

A black bow materialized in his hands. His took a shooting stance with legs apart and firm hold on the bow. A sword appeared, nocking itself into the bow. The sword changed as the monster stretched the strings of the bow. It changed from a sword to an arrow, a missile. The monster let go. The arrow already hitting the target in his mind. It only needed to travel the distance. The top of the tower exploded. The monster let loose another arrow. And then another, he would not stop until everything was decimated.

Then he felt it. The monster felt the chains binding him weaken. Then it shattered. Ever so slowly his will returned. The monster fell on his knees and cried. With the last of his energy, the monster said one word. The words were lost to the raging storm surrounding him. But he knew what was said.

"Thank you..."

With those last words, Shirou woke up sweating. A soft warm body was pressed to him. This again. He slid of the bed careful not to wake up the other occupant of the bed. His dreams had increased in variety it seemed. That was probably the last moments of Counter Guardian EMIYA. How he acquired them, he didn't know.

He brushed the side of his cheeks, tears stained his hand. With a sigh he went to wash his face. As he was going the stairs, he heard the swoosh of a sword outside. There was a blond haired kid swinging his wooden training sword. His teacher was by his side observing him. There were sweat in both of them.

Shirou picked up a weighted training sword by the shoe box. He tested it in his hands. Shirou slowly made his way outside. He felt the morning air with the scent of the sea.

"Ah! It's you." The blonde looked at him.

"Concentrate on you sword swings." A stick made its way into the boys butt. His face twisted in pain. The dark-skinned woman turned to him. "Would like a spar as a warm-up?"

Shirou hesitated.

"Don't worry, I'll hold back." The woman said after his hesitation.

He felt an itch in the back of his mind. His newly discovered dragon pride would not enable him to accept his implicated weakness. The itch turned into a very annoying ache. He gave in. The "gift" that was forcefully given to him was acting up. How did the ancient dragon deal with this? He said something that most dragons had great pride. The younger once had more so. Was this how it worked? Probably, but for the dragons it might have been more of a natural urge. For the dragon's it would have been a natural thing to exert their dominance over other creatures of the earth. Not like this. He was a human. It felt like he was becoming an animal during this times. His base instincts would start to take over.

Shirou bowed his head in a respectful manner.

"Please take care of me then."

"Likewise."

The woman took a stance with the single sword in her two hands. It was pointed at him with the point up. Shirou imitated the form. Then they swung their swords. Their blades crossed. Shirou was disadvantaged. Even with the natural strength he gained from having the blood of a dragon, he could not compensate for the difference in height. The woman's sword was pressing down on him. He leapt back immediately. He'd have to fight more carefully. The itch was starting up again. It seemed his pride wouldn't allow him to even hold back. He bit it back.

Raffaello raised her sword again in the same form. She had felt his strength when they crossed swords. Her hands were still a little numb from the exchange. The boy dashed towards her with the sword pointed at the ground on his right side. It was an upward slash. Or so it should have been if the child was of the same height as her. The slash went to her feet. It was a very low strike. She leapt back.

The child followed after her. With an upward arc, the child's sword swung at her. If her height was any lower and the opponent was heavier she would have been beaten, but it wasn't the case. She blocked. They leapt back from each other again.

Blow after blow were exchanged. Shirou attacked leapt high into the air and spun himself. The centrifugal force of the hit forced Raffaello back. Shirou landed with legs spread apart, one hand vertical to the ground and his other arm was holding the wooden sword in a horizontal position.

Doni stopped his practice to watch the exchange.

It was beautiful. Their movements were like a dance. It was a back and forth exchange of blows, parries, blocks and swings. The other couldn't gain a hand over the other. Or so that would what it would look like to an amateur. But he could see it. The red head was losing. His stamina couldn't keep up with the woman. His reach was also a disadvantage.

He could only keep up with her, that is by only using his current physical prowess and combat experience. Shirou was moving every part of his body. His smaller size making him harder to hit with his excellent agility. But the weight and size difference meant that he couldn't land any serious blows. A single mistake meant defeat for him. That is, without using his abilities. His pride was not allowing himself to apply even light reinforcement. He knew he could defeat the other swordsman if he took it more seriously. Was this arrogance? Taking your opponent lightly just because you knew you would be able to win when pressed.

He held back a grimace. This was like he was turning into someone like Gilgamesh. The effect of the dragon's instincts in him were stronger because he did have a very established personality at this point. The memories of his alternate selves were making him a mess. Though this was not going to be stopping him from doing what had to be done.

Shirou was using every trick in the book he knew to survive the onslaught. It felt like an eternity. His hand felt like lead from parrying her attacks. Finally his physical limits caught up with him. The wooden sword flew from his hands. The sweat had made the grip slippery. He couldn't hold it with the force of the strike that was put against him.

Twelve minutes had been spent with their spar. Shirou reached his current physical limits. That was one hell of a spar.

"Thank you for the lesson." He bowed.

Shirou collapsed on his feet after that. He had his hands as support behind his back while seating. He was not able to fully cope up with Raffaello-san. He was only able to survive because of adapting the various sword styles he had seen in his swords. He was not a genius swordsman, he was a faker. His only style, the technique he had perfected over the years, was a technique that had no qualms about putting his life on the line.

Doni had completely stopped practicing and was instead watching the spar. He was able to see how unusual the techniques Shirou was using. Some of it were not even fit for two-handed blades. So this was what a true master was like. The quality of the sword didn't matter. Even a simple wooden sword could devastate a battlefield with pure skills and technique. He looked at the ground that was gouged out and the trees that had received the brunt of the attacks. He did not know it yet. But this would be the very principle with which he would follow the path of the sword. This was the principle with which he would be called a monster of a swordsman.

* * *

A shadow was moving in the dark of night. It was chasing after its prey. A man in his early twenties was running in the alleyway. He didn't know why she was chasing him. He did nothing wrong for god's sake. He had been doing nothing but following orders. Why were they going after him? He was miles away from home and was sent here to Sardinia as a support. He couldn't see her but he knew she was there. The girl had gone to the established base of operations asking after him. They didn't know who she was. She just said that she came from headquarters. Why'd he have to sign up for this again? Oh right, they paid with double wages.

The pursuer up on the rooftops dropped down. The man was at a dead end. He had been herded like sheep into the slaughter.

"What do you want?" The man was panicking looking around for anything to arm himself with. He knew the girl was dangerous.

"Hidalgo Millo?"

"Why?"

"Were you a member of the team that was sent to retrieve a target from Oliena?"

"Yes?"

"Was Sir Antonio with you during that time?" The voice was cold and emotionless.

"Yes..." The man felt himself getting drowsy. Why was he here again? Never mind, he just needed to answer the questions.

"Was the witch in the location when you went to retrieve the target?"

"No."

"Was this the target?" The girl took out a photo from her pockets. It was the picture of a boy.

"Yes."

"Last question, was he the one that killed the rest of the team?"

"Yes."

"You have done well. After I get out of here you will forget we had this conversation, understood?"

"Yes." The man fell unconscious on the ground.

It was a hypnosis spell, but one that was widely useful for information gathering without leaving a trace. The target would be put in a state of semi-conscious dream state. The only drawback for the spell was that the target could not elaborate further on his/her answer. The caster of the magic needed to know what they would be asking the target about.

The girl walked out of the alley. There was a smile on her face. So they really did lie to her. She knew it of course. She had learned far too early in her life how cruel the world was. It was either she became a prey or a predator. She chose to become the latter.

The man behind her wouldn't even live to see tomorrow. When the man would return to their headquarters, he'd be executed under false accusations. The Circle of the Black Knights was no longer what it used to be. They were formerly a very honorable organizations that moved to prevent the abuse of magic. Now they themselves were the cause of the abuse. One thing remained true. They were anonymous. They did not exist. On paper that is.

When her so called "father" had trained her in espionage, the first lesson she was taught was to never take things at face value. That lesson had served her well. She knew of the rotting corruption of the organization. It wouldn't matter in the end. She had sworn that she would be quitting when she had gotten her revenge. It seemed she had gotten what she wanted earlier than expected. Her plans were already set into motion.

* * *

"So mana and od are subdivisions of prana?" Lucretia ask from behind him. He was crouching on the ground drawing glyphs and marks. The ruins surrounding them was silent as a grave. The tall columns of broken granite pillars surrounded them. They were hidden from view from the outside. Lucretia was sitting on one of the stone pillars as she watched Shirou draw.

"Yes, according to the teachings of magecraft from my world. Mana is the life force of the planet and exists in the atmosphere. The mana in this world is unusual thick compared to ours. Od, the odic force, or life force converted into magical energy is the energy found within living organisms. Once depleted, the Magic Circuits stored within the Soul will replenish it. Magecrafts or thaumaturgy rely on both." Shirou continued explaining, dividing his attention between Lucretia and what he was doing.

"So prana is what we both call magical energy. My magecraft relies on the use of prana. But it is easier to and less costly for us magi to cast our magecraft in environments rich in mana. Magus are even able to draw in mana to replenish their od, but it depends on the number of circuits one has. The only difference there is between mana and od is that mana is more abundant. While od is more stable to use."

"And what exactly are we doing here?"

"Sorry, I forgot to explain. I'm trying to determine the distance of this world from my former world. This would allow me to know the amount of prana required to do the ritual. It's also to make sure I know what adjustments I'll make on the mystic code I'm making."

"So you must be a strong magus in your world then, are you Shirou-kun?"

Shirou stopped his work for a moment. He scratched the back of his head sheepishly. The urge to boast getting to him. "I'm not quite what you'd call a first rate magus. I was only able to at least make myself a barely passable second rate magus with my wife teaching me."

"But you didn't answer my question Shirou-kun." He knew he couldn't lie out of this. The urge to demean his own accomplishments didn't quite seat well with him. His pride was acting up again. Shirou sighed before speaking.

"I was one of the people in our world who possess what we call a reality marble. I only know of five other humans who have one. I also have a few titles on my name. But in terms of raw power, I'm only above average at best."

Lucretia was taking in all the information Shirou was giving.

"The advancement of the magi in your truly do astound me. I wonder if that would be what would have happened here if the Gods had not existed." The depth of which they had explored the world of magecraft as Shirou called it, was astonishing to say the least. Even with the limited resources they had, they were able to advance further than the magi of her world. Maybe that was the reason. Because they had less, they were able to create more. As a scholar, she followed the pursuit of knowledge. And she wanted to know more.

"What's a reality marble?"

Shirou grimaced at that. He couldn't stop himself from answering even if he didn't want to.

"It is a magecraft coming close to True Magic. A reality marble is the projection of a person's perception of the world into reality. The creation of reality marbles in humans is an alien concept. Only demons who have a twisted perception of the world, are the ones who are able to acquire it naturally. It is something that is not acquired easily. Only the greatest of magi have acquired it. I am an exception."

Lucretia looked at her with her head tilted to the right.

"What do you..." She paused, contemplating what he had said earlier. "You mean to say your perception of the world is distorted?"

Shirou could only nod weakly.

"How?"

Shirou thought about lying. His memories of his other selves were messing with his personality. He wanted to lie, he wanted to tell the truth, and he wanted to stay silent.

"Shirou..." Lucretia gently beckoned him to her. He approached her. When he was within arm's length, she reached for him and embraced him. "Tell me about it Shirou."

His resolve shattered.

"I am distorted Lucretia-san. Even one of my wives said so." Shirou smiled bitterly, his way of addressing her changed showing how serious he was with the conversation. "I perceive myself as a Sword. A Sword meant to save others. But... I don't who I am anymore, I still follow my dream of saving people. But that is not a purpose, it is an ingrained instinct within me. I am still a Sword, but one without purpose. I follow a borrowed ideal and even my weapons are fake. Who am I?"

Lucretia embraced him into her chest. Shirou's head was stuck between her cleavage. He was too somber to notice. Lucretia took a hand to his head, caressing his hair gently. He was like a broken and lost child. She wanted nothing more but to hold him close to comfort him.

"Then I'll fix you up Shirou-kun." Shirou peeked between her breasts. He had still had the melancholic expression. He felt his heart warm up with those words. Was this what it was like to have a mother? He never did have one. He had a father, but he never had any maternal figure in his life.

"That is impossible _Okaa-san_."

"But isn't your dream also an impossible one, sochi?"* Shirou felt his cheeks redden with the mention of his hypocrisy. "I am not the only one who thinks it is a beautiful dream." Shirou hesitantly wrapped his arms around Lucretia.

Maybe having a mother wasn't so bad. Well, maybe, if only Lucretia would tone down her teasing.

The creature stirred. It felt it. There was a tugging sensation pulling at it. It had been some time when it felt the bindings loosen. The creature broke free from its cage. Many others like _it_ , had been breaking free from their own self-imposed sealing. They were the forgotten.

* * *

Contrary to what mages believed, the gods and mythical beasts that were lost to time did not fade away. Gods do not die, nor do they fade away. They merely sealed themselves or be prey to the stronger gods and Campiones. This divinities and mythical beasts that were long forgotten by time itself hid themselves. They chose locations abounding with the energy of the planet. Then they slept.

They had heard the words of summoning, the words of the declaration of war of all beings. The words that had been spoken by that being of power, were weakening the anchors separating the world of "Myths" and the world of humans. The weakest ones were the first to break free. The stronger a being was, the tighter they were held down in their "Myths". Sooner or later they would all be free. Time was of no consequence to them. Some would bide their time. Others would revel in their new found freedom.

It was not just the boundary that was disappearing. Even the heretic gods in the netherworld felt it. The curse of Madness that was inflicted on all heretic gods were disappearing. Gods that would descend on earth would have no need to follow their urges to battle. It was both a boon and a bane to mankind.

The creature sitting on the bottom of the sea, opened its eyes. Reptilian eyes glowed in the black depths of the sea. The creature moved towards the tugging sensation. It felt power, thrumming with the disruption of the rhythm of nature. The creature a strange gigantic reptile, whose first name was long lost to the ages. Its incarnation was known as the Iskultone by the Sardinians. A gigantic snake like dragon with seven heads that slept within mountains. The Greeks had known it as the Hydra, a seven headed reptile that lived in a swamp. It was later named as the Basilisk. A creature which could kill with its gaze.

Ever so slowly, the giant reptile surfaced from the dark cold depths. A fishes' tail enabled the reptile to maneuver itself in the water. Its dark blue scales glistened under the sun. The giant reptile had the head of a dragon. Its breath was poisonous and like its kin, it had the power to kill lesser beings with but a glance. The giant reptile landed ashore. It could smell the scent of prey.

The creature was once a guardian deity of the seas. With time, it changed. It had lived for a long time until men came to slay it with steel in their hands. Its incarnations had weakened with time. But it had bidden its time and had emerged more powerful than ever.

The giant reptile opened its jaws and roared. The sea answered its call. The waters rushed towards land to flood the city ahead. Within the waters it would be invincible, it would not repeat its mistake a long time ago. During that time, the giant reptile had been lured far inland. That was where it was wounded. Within the waters of the sea, no wound would remain on its body.

The creature enjoyed the sight before it, as it marched onwards. So much prey to choose from.

* * *

A girl in her early teens stood atop a tall building. Her hat had been blown away by the wind revealing her long silky hair and beautiful countenance. The right side if her face was covered by her bangs. But that did nothing to hide her beauty, rather it enhanced it. Unique eyes of dark red showed from her visible face. She was wearing form fitting clothes of a blue shirt and black pants. Her young and developing body, was lithe. Her pale white skin made her look almost ethereal. One could easily see she would grow up to be a beauty.

She looked towards the eight-story building reptile. It was gigantic. Slitted eyes stared at her. She prepared herself. Her task would be left for later. As a human, as a knighted mage, she would fight the monster. It was not a matter of choice for her but of common sense. It was also a lesson he had learned from his _father_. Although she was too young back then to understand, she remembered the words.

 _"Listen my daughter, to hold power is both a burden and a blessing. Because you are able to do it, you should do it. Even more so if you are the only one who can do it."_

 _"Is that why you need to go father?" A teary eyed little girl of twelve held unto her father's clothes._

 _"Yes, because I'm the only one who can do it."_

Those were his _father's_ last words before he had gone. He had never returned.

She readied her weapon. A hand held out to grasp it. She chanted.

 _"Answer my call, Bow of the Huntress_

 _Oh symbol of mine pledge, come hither to your mistress_

 _I am sworn maiden of the Hunt_

 _With the Moon Goddess' blessing,_

 _I summon you forth, Ellianara"_

A wooden bow with vines seemingly crawling on the wood appeared on her outstretched hand. It was a bow she had acquired by passing a very dangerous and difficult trial. It was a symbol of her pledge to the Goddess of the Hunt. As long as she remained a maiden, she would be able to summon the bow. Her young appearance was deceptive. She was already an adult. After finishing the trial, her physical age had been reduced from twenty three to fourteen. Her appearance would stay the same until the day she would break her pledge. The only way for her to do that was lose her virginity. Which wouldn't be happening so soon. Not with her plans set into motion.

Spellwords poured from her mouth as the giant reptile charged towards her.

 _"Beasts of the forests are my prey_

 _An arrow for the prey that thinks it is the predator_

 _The Goddess of the Hunt guides my arrows_

 _For no beast can escape the Hunt"_

A glowing silver arrow escaped her bow. She leapt to the side to escape the reptile's charge. The arrow rang true as it hit the reptile's head. The large reptile collapse.

The girl prepared another arrow.

" _You shall be slain so that you may return_

 _To your home, to the earth, to the sea-"_

The giant reptile had recovered faster than she thought. Two heads rose from the smoke. The monster's heads turned towards her, it reptilian eyes glowed green. She tried to dive for cover. It was too late. Slowly, the magic took ahold of her. She was a mage, her resistance was higher than that of normal people. But she was still human. The creature opened its jaws. Its head reared back, about to strike.

Her life's moments flashed before her eyes. She closed her eyes to await her death. At least she would be meeting her _father_ , soon. But it never came.

A shadow appeared before her. She opened her eyes to witness her savior. The first thing she noticed was the mop of red hair. The reptile had stopped its attack. There was a boy in front of her. It was very short and young boy. He had his back to her. She could not see his face. But she knew who he was. Shirou Emiya.

She could feel the power emanating from him. He was releasing an aura that was making her want to bow her head in submission and deference towards a being of far greater power. She felt like an insect before the mightiest of beings.

The boy spoke. Even his words resonated in her soul. The words were spoken with confidence, bordering arrogance. But it was spoken more like a statement of a fact rather than a threat.

"Leave and never return. If you do, I may spare your life."

The reptile had somehow understood his words. It was both enraged and wary. The creature growled. She looked on as the reptile backed off a few steps. The giant reptile/dragon/serpent roared back its reply. Its towering form tripped various electrical lines. Its feet crushed the flooded street. The creature stared back in defiance at the boy.

Then the most absurd thing she had ever seen happened. A sound similar to a roar came from the boy. It was not human. She was sure. The roar was that of a true monster. She felt herself shiver, it was both out of fear and something more. No, it was out of awe. The roar was that of a Dragon of dragons. The reptile stepped back in fear. It turned around to run. To escape. It was too late. The monster before her had issued a challenge. The creature of the sea had given its reply.

A bladed lance appeared in the boy's hands. Its color was dark brown with the blade tip of a dark blue color. A strange glow was coming from the bladed edges. The lance more than twice the size of the boy. But he held it in his hands like an old friend, a trusted comrade.

It was Aegilus Dagnir Tel' Eiar. The weapons name in human tongue was "Bane of the Seas". The spear was a gift given by the elves to a young boy. The world where that boy lived in was a world where only 5% of the land was not covered by water. The people of that world lived in fear of the creatures of the sea. Monster would invade the land terrorizing and killing the people.

The spear was a gift given to a young boy who would later unite the lands and become its first king. It was sung out of the world tree by the elves. Before the elves retreated to the Reverse Side of the World, they had given the spear as a weapon to a boy. The boy prayed and dreamed of a land without fear. A world where they did not cower in fear. With the spear the boy achieved the dream as he became a man.

The spear was a Noble Phantasm that was able to wound any creature that had its origin from the deep waters. It also enabled the user to walk and breathe under water. It was a spear Shirou found in the memory of his alternate reality self. It also gave an ability to the wielder, the ability to command the waters of the oceans and the seas.

The boy held the large lance in his small arms with the point towards the sea creature. He held the spear like he would taking a swing, holding it sideways. Sea water gathered on the spears edge. Then he swung it outwards in a curve, a crescent shaped blade of compressed water shot out from the spear. The boy stepped back as the spear swung out, he took another step back swinging his body around in the opposite direction. Waves after waves of crescent blades shot out towards the creature.

The maiden saw the boy spinning the lance which was far too large for him. Then with a step forwards, the boy brought down the spear in a vertical arc. It was wounded. Sea water gathered around the giant reptiles healing wound.

The boy looked so graceful as he moved the lance around. Then with a flourish, he spun it above his head. She could not hear the words he spoke. A pillar of water sprung from bellow, the boy run straight ahead jumping from the top of the building towards the rising pillar. He used the lance to vault unto the pillar of water and towards the reptile. Blades sprung out from the spearhead's sides making the spear into a lance. The boy twirled in the air and dived straight into the reptile's heads.

The reptile tried to catch him in its jaws with its two heads twisting and turning.

The reptile, in a last ditch effort opened its mouth. It would not go down without a fight. It gathered every poison on its body. Behind the boy, spinning sea water with drill points followed him. The water converged on the boy, the water spun in a drill with the tip of the lance as its point. The reptile released its breath. The boy penetrated through it and towards the giant reptiles open jaws. It was penetrated from the head the tail.

On the giant reptile's body was a gaping hole. It was disintegrating faster than it would heal. The wound was too large.

The Knight Mage watched in awe and reverence as the boy returned to her. Her consciousness was fading. The last sight she would see would be the boy kneeling over her form as the darkness embraced her.

* * *

The fight's ending had been anticlimactic for such a large monster. He had felt his adrenaline rush and his blood sang with joy at the prospect of a challenge. He had kept a clear mind throughout the battle. He had used only the minimum required to get rid of the giant reptile. He didn't want to be the cause of all the more destruction. He could still hear his heart pumping blood into his veins. That was the second time he had completely let go. The first time being when he had conducted the experiment earlier today.

Shirou tried closing his circuits again. It wouldn't completely close. He was still emitting prana. He could feel the sudden increase in his prana regeneration after he had let loose. Dragons were known to emit prana into the air that the very air around them distorted with it. Shirou was sure that if the colossal Blue Dragon Emperor inside him was in the real world, he would probably feel more of that Dragon's power.

He left his circuits open. He couldn't close it. Not now that he had opened it. So he was now a perpetual beacon of power for everyone sensitive to the supernatural powers to feel. This was a problem. He'd have to look for a mystic code that could cover the prana he was emitting later on.

After taking the girl away, he had returned to the site of the battle to look for survivors. He had found a few. Shirou looked down at the girl he had gone back to.

Avalon was working, he was lucky the girl was unconscious. He didn't want anyone seeing him do this. He used Structural Analysis one more time. She was healing. Whatever magic that was, it was dangerous. He had arrived just in time with Lucretia driving towards the city. What Lucretia hadn't expected was for him to run off towards the disaster zone. He didn't know what happened to the giant lizard with a fish tail. It dissolved into prana moments later after it was killed. If this were the disaster caused by gods, how were the mage organizations able to cover it up?

Shirou looked at the results Avalon was having. It was turning the girl older, it stopped the girl looked about three or four years older. This was not supposed to happen. But Avalon was just as strong or if not stronger than it was with its healing even during the time he had been with Saber.

Shirou felt annoyed with what had happened. He could have just killed the beast from afar. But the giant lizard had called for a challenger. It had played with its prey, the innocents caught in its path. The way the battle could have gone would have been better. He found the weapon that he used to be quite a powerful one. According to his memories, the lance was said to have been able to grant the user the ability to summon massive tsunamis. He could have used his more mundane weapons though.

Oh right, he run off from Lucretia. She would be cross with him. No, she was probably angry with him right now. She had told him she did not have enough magical energy before they arrived. She was still recovering from what happened more than a month ago. Shirou rubbed the bridge of his nose. Oh, she would be very angry with him.

Shirou carried the girl on his arms. He was too short to carry her on his back. The devastation from the battle had caused deaths and about a quarter of the city flooded. The sea water was receding slowly. He grimaced. If only he had arrived sooner...

No, he shouldn't think of such thoughts. He had promised long ago to Aoko he wouldn't. He arrived at where Lucretia was waiting with her car. She had her arms crossed and a frown on her face.

"Shirou, why did you run off when I told you that we should stay here and wait for Raffaello?"

He bit back the urge to groan. His _mother_ was a worrywart. He put the girl down.

"I have no excuses. I will accept any punishment." Shirou stated solemnly.

Lucretia walk towards him then pinched his ears.

"Next time, if you worry me like that, I will revoke your rights to the kitchen until you have repented on your actions." Oh damned Root, why she have to know his weakness.

"I'm sorry." He looked down like a child who had just been scolded.

"As long as you know what you've done. I was worried you know? Now, what happened there?"

"Uhm, I killed a giant lizard with fish for tails?"

Lucretia just stared at her incredulously.

"You killed a giant lizard with fish for tails."

"Yes." Lucretia stared at him with deadpan expression.

"Shirou what did you do?"

"I just told you didn't I?"

"You fought a divine beast and killed it. That's what you did."

"Huh, are they really that strong?" Shirou thought about it more carefully. Would he have been able to beat that giant lizard with fish for tails even with his previous self? Probably. Yes, he could take it down by bringing out his more powerful weapons. Even with his previous armory, he still had many blades able to kill the thing. The spear he used was just the most fitting weapon for it. And he didn't want to be bringing out any of his hidden aces.

"It was weak, I mean even she was able to wound it." He pointed at the unconscious girl. What he didn't mention was the reptile also had insane regeneration and the single head dividing into two. He had seen what had happened with his reinforced eyes.

Anyone who did not have proper firepower and weapons would have an insanely hard to impossible time of dealing with that monster. Unluckily for the beast, Shirou had a weapon more than capable of just wounding it. The giant lizard/serpents greatest strengths were its eyes that could kill anyone who had low magic resistance and its regeneration ability. Even in its incarnation as a Hydra, Shirou had destroyed it faster than it would heal. He had destroyed the creatures head to the base of its neck and then destroyed the creature's heart. The core of the monster. Without it, it perished.

"Even so it was still a divine beast. Do you feel any different?"

"No. Why?"

"So Pandora hasn't blessed the kill as a worthy one."

"Pandora?"

That was when a speeding black car screeched into view. It was like a car being driven by a drunk. A disaster waiting to happen. The car stopped exactly in front of them. A gasping Doni came out of the car.

"Land... land..." He began kissing the ground like a man deprived of water.

Raffaello came out of the driver's side of the car.

"It's gone?"

"Can we please talk about this at home? The girl is still unconscious. She's also a mage."

Doni face paled at his words. His mouth was gaping wide with horror and his eyes looked at Shirou with the words 'Traitor' written all over it.

"No!"

* * *

"The boy was able to arrive on the scene on time as it was about to kill the girl. Then he killed the divine beast. And then he rescued the girl." Raffaello stated the shortened version of Shirou's explanation.

"Yes." Doni's retching could be heard from the living room. His stomach still hadn't been emptied of this morning's breakfast. Lucretia and Raffaello were staring down at Shirou. He was on the opposite side of the table with his hands on his knees awaiting the verdict. Guilty.

"But Pandora didn't approve of the kill."

"Yes. It was probably, either the creature wasn't a divine beast. But what else could it have been? Or the creature-" Lucretia replied to her friend.

"The giant lizard with fish for tails." Shirou filled in.

"Yes that, was weakened. But the end result is the kill wasn't approved. What we're trying to know is how you were able to kill it."

The boy's head turned towards the door.

"Shirou don't, lie. I know when you're lying." Lucretia looked at him.

He had no choice on the matter.

"I used a spear."

"And where is the spear?" Raffaello asked.

"I don't have it anymore. I can probably call for it tomorrow again."

Lucretia studied his face.

"He's not lying."

"So what do we do about him? You know what's happening with the organizations right now. The smaller organizations leeching for support. Everyone needs recognition. To have recognition as an organization. The fastest way to have this is to have a famous mage as a representative during the coming gathering. If news somehow came out about your "apprentice' achievement, they would want to use him as a figurehead."

"Please don't talk like I'm not here..."

Lucretia looked around the house. She really did have no choice. She'd need to go somewhere else where the concentration of mages weren't so thick. She needed to move out. Then the thought came to her.

"Shirou, you're Japanese right?"

"I thought I said I was?"

She smiled at him beautifully.

"Then we're going to Japan. I have a friend there who we can visit."

"Why Japan?" Raffaello asked.

"We'll, I wanted to go to Shirou's homeland of course. Besides the fact that they don't have that many mages there."

"Oh right. Most mages would either move to Europe or America."

"There have been no Campiones in the Far East since a few hundred years ago. Mages tend to gather around the figures of power. And they also tend to avoid China."

"See? Perfect right?"

"But wouldn't they be able to track you easily with your name?"

"Don't worry about that. Besides, that part is easy. I wouldn't have to worry about being tracked with my financial traces. I have a bank account under another name for that. Besides, it will be just a few months or a year until everything settles down." She sighed. "You know you could just take credit for what happened there. Even if someone may have seen you. They wouldn't be able to believe it if it was reported that a five year old child was able to kill a monster able to make even the bravest knights hesitate."

"You know I can't do that. Firstly, it is dishonorable for a Saint of my stature to take credit for what I have not done. Secondly, it's because of the reason I'm here in the first place. Some very influential people have been pressuring me to take sides. Which I would not do in this situation. Doing so would just create more chaos. The same reason why you haven't taken sides either."

Lucretia smiled wryly. Shirou felt the tugging from Avalon. The girl he had found was awake. He needed to talk to her. It was something he had to do. Something that he was compelled to do. Shirou stood up from the chair.

"I'll be upstairs." Shirou walked up the staircase towards Lucretia's room where they had put the girl.

"The child is a true monster Lucretia. I wonder to what he will become when he grows up. He had been able to slay a divine beast, even a weakened one at that, is something. Even I would have a hard time taking care of something like that. Even now, I can feel the change that came from him. If you had not told me earlier that he already had that much power to begin with, I would have suspected that he is now a Campione."

The witched took a sip from the mug of espresso that had gone cold.

"It seems that whatever is suppressing his power, it has now been released. He is a mystery to me. Even more when he told me of his past..."

"His past? I thought he is suffering from amnesia?" Raffaello asked the witch with interest.

" _He does not remember anything before the fire happened._ " Lucretia quoted Shirou's words. She had always thought there was a deeper meaning to those words. Shirou was not a good liar. What he had said then was not a lie, but a half truth.

"Even then, the very feel of the child's power is terrifying. It is something which I cannot put my finger on. What I can say is that he feels like a predator. A beast. A monster... It's something that I had felt before, the feel of the boy's power is very familiar to a very dangerous enemy I had encountered in the past. It has the feel of a Heretic God of War. But it has more than that."

"But he is still a child." Raffaello agreed with Lucretia's words. Even with that much power, they still saw the boy as a child.

"Yes, it is because he is still a child that I urge you to hide him. His power is both a burden and a curse. Words of what happened here cannot be known to anyone until the time is right. Campione or not, the child holds a great power. And power gathers other beings of power, good or evil, it does not matter. I urge you to make haste with your preparations for departure. I will take care of the rest that will happen her." The Saint's words were delivered firmly and with finality leaving no room for argument.

"Then I will leave as soon as possible. Even if you say you do not want to get involved you still do, that chivalry and code of honor of yours would not allow you to leave anyone in need of assistance." Lucretia lightly teased her friend. She watched in amusement as Raffaello held her nose high with a light blush on her cheeks.

* * *

The girl woke up and tried to get off the bed too fast. She felt woozy with the blood gathering in her head. She dropped back on the bed. She looked around the room, just noticing the boy on the chair beside the bed. She should have, but she still out of sorts from what had happened earlier.

"Are you alright?" Shirou was sitting on the large chair with his hands on his knees. He could still feel Avalon in her. She was probably alright.

"Oh! I'm sorry, I didn't see you there." The girl looked at him with a glassy eyes.

"I see..."

A few moments of awkward silence later, the girl spoke up.

"I thank you for saving me." She spoke sincerely with her head bowed.

Shirou studied the girl. She fidgeted under his gaze, finding the curtains interesting to look at.

"Your quest for revenge will get you nowhere."

The girl tensed at his words but made no other move. Shirou pressed on.

"Your father was a fool."

"Do you who I am then?" She asked cautiously.

"You are Haidee Morrel. Daughter of Maximillian Morrel who is known in the Circle of the Black Knights as Sir Garrett, the "Faceless Knight". I was the one who killed your foster father, Sir Antonio."

Shock was evident on her face. Then came realization and then anger. She, like most members who had joined the anonymous organization, had changed her name. Names were useless to the Circle of the Black Knights. They did not seek recognition nor fame. That _was_ their motto.

"Did he tell you all this? Did that despicable traitor tell you this?" She asked with anger evident on her voice.

Shirou shaked his head. He didn't like revealing the secret to his skills, but it was necessary in this case. He summoned the black axe, its bloodied form materializing in his hands. The image of confusion and horror on the former owner's face surfaced on Shirou's mind as he remembered the words he used to imbalance the man." _Traitor."_

"The blade told me of your father's dreams and ideals. He was a fool."

Her demeanor changed from red faced anger to a cold glare directed at Shirou.

"But he was an admirable fool. I am able to see into the history of blades, I've seen what you've been trying to do. That path will only leave you nothing but emptiness. I admire your father. He was given a choice, he chose what I could not. He was a good father to you until the very end. It was only that he not able to make a choice because of his betrayal."

Shirou could remember it well. The Circle of the Black Knights had given Sir Garret an ultimatum. He was to become the symbol for the organization. To do so, he would have to abandon everything else in favor of tradition. He would also have to abandon his daughter. But before he could make his choice known, he was accused of a crime he did not commit. Evidences were planted against him. A mockery of a trial was held. He was deemed guilty and was sentenced to death.

Shirou could remember the man's only regret. He had never been able to hold her one more time. Shirou pitied and envied the man. Sir Garret was given a choice. Shirou was not. Their situations were almost similar, it was ironic. Shirou had no choice, it was his very nature to save. He could not abandon his promise to save himself. Sir Garret was a man like him, a man who wanted to save people. But Sir Garret was not powerful enough to be able to support his choice. He paid for it with his life.

Tears began falling from the girl's eyes. Her wounds were exposed, her dreams, her motivations and her past. She voiced her doubt. She wanted an affirmation.

"You're lying... that's a lie! Then why did he leave me!"

Shirou looked straight at her eyes. Her dark red eyes looked similar to Illya's, only, much darker red. The girl was denying herself the comfort. She didn't know what choice his father could have made if he was not betrayed. That was why she wanted to have her revenge. She wanted to find all those people responsible for her father's death. Her adoptive father was first on the list. But after she had her revenge, what then. No one would be able to tell her if her father chose her over his responsibilities. No one would be able to comfort her.

Haidee Morrel had been told that it was the members of the inner circle's fault. It was the fault of half the leaders of the Circle of the Black Knights. That was what her adoptive father had told her. Tell a part of the truth to make a lie. But she had found evidences of her foster father's direct involvement with what had happened. The rest was history. Shirou placed a comforting hand on her back and rubbed it.

"Your father loved you very much. He chose you over his ideals. That was the reason why they had chosen to execute him instead of letting him go despite the lack of more incriminating evidences against him. He was too important a figure. And he knew something that needed to be hidden."

Shirou got on the bed to give the girl a comforting hug. Physical comfort from others would help her. The girl was emotionally unstable right now. She needed someone to assure her. To provide her with a reason and a purpose. Shirou needed to deviate her out of herself destructive path of vengeance. It was hypocritical of him. But it was to save the girl. He had always been a hypocrite anyways.

"What do you plan to do? What do you _want_ to do? Please think carefully on this. Please think carefully on this. Whatever your choice, I will support you Haidee-san."

Shirou stood up to take his leave.

Haidee was left to take in the words the strange boy had left him, until she realized what she had just done. Her face reddened in embarrassment.

* * *

"Uhm, why are you here again?" Shirou tried not to move too much. But the situation was making him uncomfortable. He was sitting on Haidee's lap, there being not enough room in the two-seater car. He could feel the teenager's soft thighs on his bottom. Haidee was ruffling his hair fascinated by how soft it was. After he had left her to think for herself, she had gone to him that evening. In front of the others, she had kneeled in front of him and had asked him to be her Master. She had then sworn an oath. To become his Knight.

Things had been awkward. It reminded Shirou of Saber. Like Saber, Haidee had insisted on calling her Emiya-sama. Or what from what he learned of the language to be, Lord Emiya. He had to stop himself from groaning with that. He did not want to be called a Lord. But his ego, was stroked with it. He just let it be. He was unable to convince her anyway.

The conversation that followed after was what she had been planning to do. Haidee had told him that she had been planning on leaving the organization after her foster father's death. She had also provided them with what information she had on the Circle of the Black Knights.

The acting leader of the organization was a man of origins and background. Like all the leaders of the organization, the mysterious man behind the organization had no known name nor records to speak of. That might have been because all the information on him had been purged. But the Lord of the Circle of the Black Knights had to have no name. The other members went by the names of Sir Fleur, a Great Knight who had been exiled from his country. Sir Castor, the tactician and right hand man of the leader. Not much was known about him except that he came from Rome.

Then there was Lady Vashti, another one of unknown origins. There was also the mysterious Professor. Lastly there was a Sir Caderouse, a man Haidee knew to be one of the main culprits behind her father's death. He was one of the more active members of the organization. He was known to be a very cruel and perverse man who took pleasure in the suffering of others. Why he was still in the organization just showed how low it had fallen.

The original goal of the Circle was to secretly assist in the direction of the magical world. It had been the organizations goal in the past to help and assist the victims of magical incidents. It was a noble cause. One which was supported by royalty in the past. The organization was longer what it once was. Now, it was more of a criminal syndicate than the noble Knights they were supposed to strive to.

"I wonder how one as young as you can be so wise my liege." Haidee stroked Shirou's head with her soft palms.

"Please stop petting me and answer my question." Shirou tried to squirm free from her grasp but he had nowhere to escape too. "And I am not that young!" Shirou shouted with annoyance.

The two women just giggled at his proclamation.

"Of course, age does not dictate wisdom and skill my liege." The knight just brushed away his attempts at escape.

"That is what a child would say Shirou-kun" Lucretia just smiled warmly, staring ahead at the road. They had been driving straight to Cagliari after a quick stop at Nuoro. That was after escaping a rather persistent reporter. She wanted to make Shirou act more open like this. Thus the teasing and pranks. But it was also because she enjoyed doing those to Shirou.

"Urk!" He was seriously getting treated like a kid here. But... it didn't feel so bad either. Now he knew why Illya still acted like a child. "Anyway, how come you accepted Haidee-san being my knight so easily? Shouldn't you have been more suspicious, more so when I told you she was a member of a shady organization? Or are sworn knights that easy to find?"

"Emiya-sama, have you not promised that you would support my decision?" Haidee asked him with a shaky voice, if only he could see her face. A devious smile was playing on her lips.

"It's- it's not that I don't want you Haidee-san. And stop calling me that. At least call me by name."

"Then I shall endeavor to call you Shirou-sama from here henceforth."

Their car was nearing Cagliari. The salty tang of sea air was touching their noses. Shirou only sat back on his soft lap chair and slept. He really couldn't argue with women. Damn _him_ and his luck. Did _he_ have a magnet for women with strong personalities? Most probably.

* * *

A butler was making his way towards his master's room. The hallways were adorned in luxurious carpets and antique decorations ranging from paintings to knight armors from the medieval ages. The butler had white hair and a white beard. He was dressed in a clean and starched penguin suit. Penguin suit, that's what the mistress had called it. His old face and calm demeanor betrayed nothing of his thoughts. His posture was straight as he pushed a tray onwards. He had been having troubles with the master of the house lately. The heads of this long and noble lineage had always been eccentric people.

But the heiress had been taking things a bit too far. It had started a few days ago. The young heiress of the noble lineage of Montmorency had changed her name, not just her given name, even the family name. The proud and noble family name had been changed and was lost due to the whims of the current family head. The ancestors of this ancient bloodline must be turning in their graves right not. The current mistress had also done something that was practically unheard of.

 _She_ had ordered the modernization of the entire mansion. The butler opened the door to a room. Inside the room was a young lady in her early twenties. She had long and flowing straight white hair reaching down to her waist. She was currently in front of the T.V. watching the current recordings of _anime_ that she had ordered for him to acquire. This particular show was a recording that the young mistress had told the butler to acquire. Piles of CDs and video recordings were scattered all over the room. Boxes of clothes and manga series littered the room.

"Sebastian!"

The head butler had to stop the urge to facepalm. She had been renamed him Sebastian saying that he looked like a Sebastian. And that all head butlers must be named Sebastian, this must be an effect of what she had seen of the outside world in her trip last month. He was sure of it. The young head of the family had always been a sheltered one.

Alfonse Hermano, who was now christened as Sebastian, had seen the coming and going of four generations of this House' leaders. He was a mage. And he was a loyal servant to this house and would remain so until the day of his death. It was a blood debt. One he had with the head of this family four generations ago. He would keep it.

 _Sebastian_ looked at the young lady. She was holding the remote in her hands and she was playing and replaying a certain scene on the recording. It was not the anime she was watching. This one was that of what had happened two days ago in Sardinia. It was a world news coverage on the disaster in Sardinia. A strange phenomena had happened in the municipality of Nuoro, in the city of Dorgali. The sea had flooded the city caused the death of hundreds of residents. What caused their deaths was unknown. He as a mage knew what this was. It might have been caused by the descent of a Heretic God.

The various magical organizations were still currently in disorder due to the panic a certain worldwide prophecy had caused. Even he had heard the voice. The media would probably stop the reports on what had happened once the one responsible for that area would stop it. What the young master was looking at was a reporter standing in front of a large building as people bustled by. Then she paused the video. She scrutinized the image. _Sebastian_ looked on wondering what the young master was looking for.

"We're going to Italy! I think I found Onii-chan!"

 _Sebastian_ could only obey. What had the young master found this time? Really, he could never understand if it was a requirement to be both eccentric and whimsical to become the head of this House.

"Are we leaving immediately Illya-sama?" He had to stop himself from cringing. The young master had required him to learn to speak in Japanese. He had only started a few days ago. His grasp on the language was still in its very basics. He was merely using instruction magic to speed his learning. But that could only do so much. He needed to master the language as fast as possible. The young master had required all servants be able to converse in both English and Japanese. Most of the servants in this house had the aptitude and the ability to use magic to a certain degree. Learning another language didn't seem to hard a goal for them. Only the best could enter the services of the Duchess after all.

"We are leaving as soon as possible."

"Prepare a car immediately and contact a plane available for my use." The young lady pranced around the room in her magical girl costume as she started packing a few manga into a suitcase.

"Of course Illya-sama. But may I inquire why the urgency?"

"We have to rescue Onii-chan! An evil witch has abducted her!? I'm sure of it."

She couldn't have been more right. Or wrong. Behind her was the paused video of the flash news coverage with the image of a red haired boy being carried by a busty brown haired woman on the background of the reporter.

* * *

Re-edit(January 11, 2017): City of Nuoro is far inland. I forgot that they needed to drive at least four or three hours before reaching the city. So I changed it to Dorgali, which is nearer the sea. Dorgali is in the municipality of Nuoro. I didn't know it was both a city and municipality, Nuoro I mean.

-Illya is alive. I never did mention her dying did I? Nope. Nuh uh. People just assumed so from the implications. Lol. There will be many similar things happening here. Guess what will become of what? :3 hehe

-The name for Haidee was from the book by Alexander Dumas, The Count of Monte Cristo. I just remembered something that she was being mentioned as a Greek princess in the story, I can't remember though. My memory is blurry. In the book, she did have a tragic past. Similar to but not the same to what I'm portraying her as in this story.

*Basic explanation for the words to those who don't get it. Okaa-san is a formal address for "mother", chan being a denotation for more affectionate and familiar terms. "-chan" is added to the address of people you are more familiar with. Just think of Okaa-san as a term similar to the word "mother", Okaa-chan being "mom". "-chan" is also the cuter version of "-san" according to google. Whut? Sochi means son, or so that's what I know.

-Lemme explain this first before I get too far. The parameter rules according to nasuwiki.

Parameter Rules have values with 'one' being considered the normal value. So say, it's E-rank which has the value of 10, it is 10 time more powerful than a normal attack. Let's explain this on the servant parameter values for easier understanding. A servant has an E-rank agility, it means the servant has 10 times more speed than that of a normal person. That's how it works for servants. For measuring the power of noble phantasms, just look at the type first then the rank. There can be a D-rank Anti-army noble phantasm, this means that it can only injure and possibly kill those below the ranks of D, or normal humans in this case.

E=10

D=20

C=30

B=40

A=50

+= Means twice the value. ++= Means thrice the value +++= Four times the value.

So D+ would mean 40, B++ would mean 80, like that

EX= Cannot be measured, is on an entirely different level of its own.

Hey, I don't know the specifics but this was what a source told me. Meh let's just go with that. This part is just for the props anyway!

**Dagnir tel' Ear is a literal translation from elf tongue of Bane of the Sea.

Name: Aegilus Dagnir tel' Ear

Type: Anti-army

Rank: A++ - D

The weapon was a noble phantasm of a famous king from another reality. It is was said to have been made by the elves. The elves had abilities that bordered true magic. They had the ability to perform mysteries by using songs. With their song, they had sung out a song about the suffering of humanity to the World Tree that existed on the Reverse Side of the World. The result was a lance. A weapon to be wielded by one worthy of it. It is similar to Rhongomyniad in a way. The lance Aegilus is but a shadow of the power that could control the very waters of the ocean. It was not meant to be a used as a blade.

The weapon, Aegilus, takes the place of the weapon Rhongomyniad in this world. It acts as one of the anchors fastening the skin of the world to maintain stability. The weapon is able to grant the user the ability to bend the sea to his will. But the weapon's power is only so much as the wielders will. It is a very fearsome weapon if near anybody of salty waters. But it becomes like any other weapon if it is too far from the sea. When its true power is invoked, it is said that the weapon could divide even the waters of the oceans.

The first wielder of the blade was said to have been able to drive the enemies of man to the very depths of the sea by wielding this lance. The weapon is a bane of all sentient creatures from the sea, thus its name.

Name: Avalon, the Everdistant Utopia

Type: Barrier

Rank: EX

The hallowed scabbard of Excalibur, the Sword of Promised Victory. It was stolen before the battle of Camlann from King Arthur. The noble phantasm gives limited immortality to the holder and constant regeneration. No one knows what it is made from but the fairies who created it. Fairy letters are engraved on the center showing whose work it was. The scabbard was given to King Arthur as part of Excalibur.

The holder of the scabbard can grant very powerful healing even from fatal and dangerous wounds. Minor injuries are healed easily. With Avalon, Shirou was even able to survive a strike from Gae Bolg. As a noble phantasm, the scabbard grants the ability of the strongest defense that can defend even against the Five True Magics. It shields the user by separating them from the dimensions and putting the user in the land of fairies. Its ability goes beyond merely defending but completely isolating the user in a different dimension. The defense is on the level of True Magic. Only King Arthur is capable of using Avalon's ability as an absolute defense.

Shirou having had the noble phantasm for the better part of more than ten years in his earlier life, is able to recreate a perfect copy of Avalon without degradation. After Shirou's connection to Saber was cut, his image of Avalon also disappeared. But with the image from his alternate realities, he is able to recreate it.

-AND I just realized this. What monstrosity am I trying to create... I though this was a simple story. But the more I wrote it down, the more complex it got. I just hope I'll be able to finish the first Arc below 20 chapters with min. of 10000 words per chapter... Oh well...


	5. Favors and Debts(End of an Era)

Beta: MarksmanKNG

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot of this story.

* * *

-0-

 **Chapter 5**

 _What are Heretic Gods?_

 _According to the information I had received, they are divinities who have rebelled against their Myths and have gone to the realm of humans to manifest themselves thereby resulting in disasters. Are Heretic Gods evil? Because of this? No. They are not. It is merely because they are compelled by a curse to lose themselves after manifesting. They will often seek battle after manifesting bringing mayhem and chaos in their wake._

 _But why do they lose themselves from just manifesting? Gaericus-san refused to answer the question when I posed it. The Dragon said that it is a curse that was laid down ages ago. For what purpose, I do not know. The Dragon said that sooner or later I would know about it, I might as well wait for the answer. Nothing is preventing the Dragon from giving me the answer, but I am sure it has a good reason for refusing to answer my question._

 _How are Heretic Gods born? They are born from the beliefs and ideals of humans._

 _It seems Heretic Gods are similar to how Heroic Spirits are made. Like Heretic Gods, the Heroic Spirits are the amalgamated ideas and beliefs of people ascending the Hero to the Throne of Heroes. Heroic Spirits are heroes who have achieved great feats in life and become objects of worship after their death. A Hero does not necessarily need to exist to become a Heroic Spirit. Like the gods of this world, the idea itself can give birth to the Heroic Spirit._

 _Unlike Heroic Spirits though, the Heretic Gods exist in a location called Realm of Immortality. It may be similar to the Throne of Heroes but it is not. The Throne of Heroes exists outside both the world and the axis of time. The Realm of Immortality is a location that can be called outside of the world but it does not exist outside of the axis of time. Instead the Realm of Immortality may be more similar to the Reverse side of the World._

 _The Reverse Side of the World is a location where the world retains the laws of the Age of the Gods. It is where the all Phantasmal Species have retreated into. It would then be similar to the Realm of Immortality. There are differences but the similarities remain. In this world, the Swirl of the Root is not the origin of all existence._

 _Another difference between Heretic Gods and Heroic Spirits are the source of their powers. Heroic Spirits become stronger the more renowned they are. Their existences are solidified by the beliefs which they are made from. It is not how strong they were portrayed in their legends and myths. For Heretic Gods, the source of their power comes from their own will and determination._

 _But what ignites my curiosity is the stability between the layers of this world. The Realm of Humans, the Netherworld, and the Realm of Immortality, this are the layers that consist this world according to what Lucretia has told me. The Netherworld, is the center of all Realms. Within the Netherworld exists the Memories of the Void, this world's version of the collective knowledge of the entire world. Maybe it is similar to Akasha? I do not know. But the Hime-Miko are said to be able to access this fountain of information. Lucretia has confirmed this to me._

 _But their access to this information is limited from what I could tell. The Netherworld houses different Heretic Gods who have been able to calm themselves after rebelling from their myths. It is a very dangerous place which can harm those who do not have magical protection. Magical protection which I assume to be magic resistance. People who have visited this place say that they are continuously being drained of their prana while there. According to the Dragon, the Netherworld would be something akin to a train station that connects all the realms. Lucretia-san has mentioned that there are only three known realms to humanity, the Fairy Realm, the Realm of Immortality, and this realm, the Realm of Humans. But she has told me that there is one other realm, one she had visited in the past. She is unsure though whether it is truly another plane or realm, or if it is even a part of the Netherworld._

 _But what bothers me is the distinction between a True God and the Heretic Gods who manifest, Gaericus-san metioned that..._

Shirou looked at the journal he was writing. His eyes getting heavier as he tried to write just a few more words. His physical body couldn't really keep up with the activity and his head hit the table. Being a child again had a few benefits, but more drawbacks. A beautiful teenager approached Shirou's sleeping form. His head was on the table with one hand pressing on the journal and another holding a pen. A pillow was on the chair he was sitting on to assist in lifting him to the table.

Haidee took her master from the chair and carried him to bed. She had been sitting on a chair beside her master as she read a book. She put the red headed child on the luxurious queen sized bed of the hotel they were staying at. Lucretia would probably be back later. She had gone out to send a message, or so that's what she said. Haidee tucked her master in. She smiled at the boy's sleeping face. She heard the creaking of the door behind her. She instantly went on alert and looked at the open door.

The witch stood there with an unreadable expression. Lucretia studied her carefully.

"I would like to talk you about something."

"I assume it is about my being a sworn knight to my master?" Haidee responded with a crisp tone.

"It is one of it. I'll be downstairs at the bar." Lucretia closed the door behind but not before taking one last look at the sleeping child.

Haidee shut off the lamp by the bedside and locked the door behind her. She was wearing a dark blue cardigan and a short black-dark blue striped skirt. As she made her way downstairs, she took note of the quiet atmosphere in the hotel. The bar was a dimly lit room with a jazz band playing in the corner. The few patrons were sitting in tables that were distanced from each other. Perfect for a private conversation. She made her way to a table with Lucretia sitting on it. The witch had a bottle of champagne opened inside a bucket with ice. As she sat down the waiter approached to ask for her order. She ordered juice, no need to be inebriated with the kind of talk they were going to have.

"I would like to ask what your intentions are for wanting to become my son's knight." Lucretia stirred her drink with the ice in it.

" _Your step-son,_ Lucretia-san is a very interesting person. I do think he knows what he had done when he said he would take me in. Do you find my intentions questionable?" Haidee took her order from the waiter. Lucretia observed her as the waiter went away from them before speaking.

"Anyone would find your intentions questionable." The knight could see there was a dangerous glint in her eyes as she spoke. "You are from an organization which you yourself find to be quite a shady one. It is either by coincidence or fate that he finds you and takes you home after you had collapsed. Then both of you had a _good_ talk. After that, you told us who you are and swear your allegiance and loyalty to him."

Lucretia took a sip from her glass before continuing her rant.

"I do not question Shirou-kun's decision, what I find suspicious are your motivations."

"Even I would not trust myself in such a situation like that Lady Lucretia, and more so if I find the facts pointing to it as so. But I have nothing I can tell you nor give you that can gain your trust. You only have my word and oath."

"Which means nothing to me, I do not know you." There was tension between the two. Haidee clenched her fist tightly.

"If you do not trust me, then please trust my master. He is not naive. Even with having known him for a short time, I know that my young master is no mere child. He is something more. To us, to me who has seen much of the cruelties and darkness of humanity, he is like a light. You would not understand this Lady Lucretia. But we who have lived on lies, deception and deceit for far too long find ourselves drawn to the light." Haidee had a bitter smile on her face. She poured herself a drink from the bottle on the table.

"Emiya-sama is like a beacon of hope. His dreams and ideals are the very embodiment of what true knights seek to become. He is a true protector of the innocent, a defender and a knight." A sigh came out of the younger girl's mouth. "I would never have thought I would meet someone like him. He has both the ability and the power to become what we could never reach, both my real father and I, this _was_ our ambition. Emiya-sama is a Hero in both heart and mind Lucretia-san. I know this because no one can understand humans better than I."

"You seem so sure of yourself. And pray tell me, what do you want to do then?"

"I have sworn to be Shirou-sama's shield, if not his sword. I know that he is neither a fool nor a naive child. I know not what he has witnessed to make him so, but he is a kind child. He is someone destined to change the very foundations of this world. I will follow him on his chosen path. There are always bound to be someone who will try to exploit him or those to oppose him. I will be his dagger in the dark. His hands need not be tainted by the blood of such villains. I will be his shadow." Haidee said the words with such conviction that it could never be a lie. It might have convinced Lucretia, or not.

Haidee's words resounded in Lucretia. It had some truth to it. Shirou was not a Campione. He was not a child of Pandora. But he had the ability and power to rival one and to become one. This was already predetermined. Lucretia was not even sure what Shirou truly was. But from what she knew, once Shirou would grow up, he would be a true monster regardless of if he became a Campione or not.

"If you are true to your words then maybe Shirou-kun has gained a valuable comrade then." Lucretia still had a mellow smile, her expression unreadable as her eyes glinted in the dim room.

"I will not be his comrade nor ally. People like me who have no true potential can never even compare to him. He is like a very bright sun, and me... a moth drawn to the flame. I can only be his servant and pawn. Nothing more."

"But he will not treat you as that, I am sure." The waiter approached them interrupting their conversation. The waiter handed Lucretia a piece of paper with something written on it. "It seems we will be having guests tomorrow."

"Who, might I ask?"

"Someone whose help we would need if we want to escape Europe without notice." Lucretia waved the waiter to them and asked for a phone. She got directed to the back of the bar. "We will be meeting someone coming from Milan. A member of the Copper Black Cross, Paolo Blandelli. He is an acquaintance of mine."

"The 'Crimson Devil'? And he is coming here in person?" Lucretia noticed the nervousness from her tone. There was also a hint of anticipation. She was not sure what it was the younger girl felt though. Simple admiration? Or maybe even a crush? The 'Crimson Devil' was quite the dashing young man after all.

"Yes, it seems that he has some business here and wishes to take care of it while here. They will be arriving by noon tomorrow. I would like for you to be there to talk about what you told us of the Circle of the Black Knights."

"If my master's presence is required, then so shall I comply."

"Good then. You can go back to the room now. I'll follow you later. I have calls to make and meetings to arrange."

Haidee nodded before exiting the bar. Lucretia watched the teenager go. She did not trust that girl. The girl's every actions and movement screamed of a trained liar. A spy. But the words she had told her were sincere. She knew because the girl had an awkward way of talking when she was telling the truth. _Someone who knew humans better than her?_ Lucretia could only scoff at the boast. She was far older and more experienced with the true nature of humans than the girl could ever be.

What the girl had told her about the Circle was alarming though. They were controlling the underworld through the means of magic. And they were amassing an army. For what? They were preparing for war? Until when? They also had information on almost all the magical societies in the world.

The Circle of the Black Knights was no mere group. It was an alliance of leaders of various magic oriented syndicates. They would be a dangerous enemy. Even Haidee had no more detailed information on the leaders of the Circle. And she had been planning the downfall of the Circle since her father's betrayal.

The beautiful witch contemplated the matter. If the Circle really had been planning something for a while now, then they would probably striking soon. The oncoming summit was going to be held in two months at London, in England. It would be the largest gathering of all members and leaders of the magical society. Whatever plans they had would probably be centered there. She needed to warn them, she also needed to ask a favor. Though she was a very wealthy woman, her wealth was more in property and in the magic items she owned. She would need plenty of cash. She had lied to Raffaello about having another account. That would just worry her.

Paolo could pull plenty of strings for her so that she could obtain the amount she needed while waiting for the auction or sell of her property. This was one of the reasons she hated moving around. He also had the means to cover for her. She could only hope nothing would go wrong tomorrow.

* * *

-0-

As Shirou slept he dreamed. His dreams were of his memories, the memories of his alternate realities, and some memories he had acquired a Heroic Spirit Archer and Counter Guardian Emiya. But this time, the dream was not his own. It was about a blue haired child.

The child would have looked cute, if only she wasn't so dirty. She had deep eyes of black and very cute nose and mouth. The little girl had a hair cut similar to a boy's. The girl was a slave. The world she lived in looked similar to what would have come right out of a fairy tale. There existed monsters and fairies. The people wielded blades and magic as weapons. The little girl was a slave who worked in the mines. A very dangerous environment not fit for a child.

Shirou saw the little girl's day to day life. It infuriated him. He could only watch in abject horror and disgust as the guards responsible for the slaves branded the little girl with a hot iron rod. It was a public example for disobedience. The girl had broken out of the marching line to assist another slave. When she had refused to obey the orders from the guards, she was dragged in front of the line to be publicly tortured. The conditions of the slaves were worse than what Shirou had seen in his own time as a Heroic Spirit, summoned through numerous battles.

The living quarters were cramped as two families were forced to be fitted into a single house. Hygiene was none existent. The food, which was a thin soup gruel was only distributed twice a day. Sometimes even once. The slaves were dressed in nothing but worn rags. Shirou could only contain his rage as he watched. He could not do anything. This was only a memory. Even then he felt his heart tearing itself from the sight of it. But of whose memory was this? His? It couldn't be. The girl was too different from him. Even the world which unique as it was, was different.

The little girl's life was hell. Day by day she would work, carrying stones or water, amounts which should be carried by a grown adult. The little girl had friends, and she had a foster family. But with each passing day, she saw them get abused and tortured by the guards. Her friends and family protected her from what they could but even then, they could not keep her away from all this. Her young mind had witnessed her sister get dragged off and raped by the guards in the middle of the night. Her screams resounding in the dark. She had witnessed as they had tortured one of her friends for merely asking for second servings of food. Her friend's corpse was later desecrated and hanged for all to see. The little girl had seen the worst of what humanity could truly become if given power over the weak.

Shirou could feel a thirst that couldn't be quenched, a hunger that couldn't be sated. This was a nightmare. His " _self_ " was in a state of turmoil. The urge to act and "save" was strong even if it was just a memory.

The girl was strong. Shirou could see it. She endured. She grit her teeth and looked on over the suffering of her fellows and family. She swore revenge. She swore the destruction of it all. So strong was her will that she had lived through it all. The little girl knew that it was futile attempt to fight the guards and the nobles. But she still swore to it. It was not hatred that blossomed in the girl's heart. It was vindication for the cause of it all. What had they done to deserve this?

What finally broke the little girl was when her foster mother was killed. They were born as slaves. That was merely it. They were born without power and money. The little girl was growing up to be a beautiful creature. The guards had seen this and had attempted to take her away. The little girl's family and friends tried to protect her. They died. They knew not what her fate was if she was to be taken away, but they knew it would be a fate worse than death itself. She would be sold to one of the depraved nobles of the city. The little girl was their figurative light. She was the only treasure they had. The little girl watched as her protectors were butchered and slain. Their blood stained the dried ground red as it mixed with the urine and waste littering the unsanitary ground.

That day, the little girl was no more. That day, the little girl awakened a power. A power that slept in her blood. It was the power of an apex predator. It was the power of a creature that could level cities with ease. The girl became a Dragon. She was a half blood. Her real father was a dragon. Her mother, was a human. How they had borne a daughter from such a union she did not know. How her circumstances came to be she did not know. But she knew one thing. _She had power to make them pay._

Shirou awoke with a hammering headache bashing his head. The extreme emotions he had felt were messing with his head. He felt his control over his circuits loosen as massive amounts of prana poured out from him. The soft body pressed into him stirred as well. But that was strange. He didn't remember there being anyone else but Lucretia who would snuggle him to her body when she slept. The modest chest size she felt on his back was not Haidee's. He knew because she had been pressing her breasts to him during the entire road trip from Nuoro to Cagliari.

Shirou carefully opened his eyes and turned his head. It was a stranger. It was a young woman who was in her late teens. She stared at Shirou with her night-black eyes. The word beautiful would not do her justice. She was absolutely stunning. Her beauty bordered on the absurd that it was beyond lusting. She had Saber's kingly aura. She had Rider's dangerous feme fatale beauty. And she was more than mysterious. She was nothing but simply beyond being admirable, she would be worshipped. But those were not the things on Shirou's mind.

What he felt was panic and fear.

It was Gaericus Balerion, the Blue Dragon Emperor. A being whose power could rule more than just dimensions and worlds. Shirou felt a scream building up. The urge was beat down as the beautiful young woman spoke.

"It seems this Emperor's attempt has been successful." Her musical feminine voice resounded in his ears. "Ah~, it has been a while since this ancient one has visited and gazed upon the physical plane." Her lustrous blue hair followed her as she stood up from the bed. She was dressed in golden cloth which were wrapped around her privates barely covering them up. Her ethereal appearance took away Shirou's breath as he gazed upon the most beautiful being he had ever seen. Even on Shirou's memories, she had no peer. Every single movement was tantalizing that it would put lesser men on their knees at the mere sight of it.

The light of dawn illuminated the Dragon as she traversed to the open balcony. She turned her head to the side, her deep blue hair cascading. And she commanded him.

"Join _me_ , it has been a long time since this ancient one has been awake for this long. And it has been ages since this Emperor has seen the sight of the sun." Shirou's body followed the command before he could make sense of it.

The light of the rising sun was seemingly being stolen by the Dragon's presence. Shirou stood behind her as she sat on a chair.

"Hmm~?, you seem to be surprised, Hero."

Shirou took back command over his senses. He was not sure if he should be scared or awed by her presence. He took the chair beside the Dragon.

"How are you here? I thought you only existed inside my soul?"

Tinkling bells of mirth could be heard as the Dragon let out a musical laugh. She replied with amusement evident.

"It is that which confuses you?" Shirou nodded." Very well, this Emperor shall enlighten you. It is my core which is inside you, Hero. This form is merely a projection. Similar to how your blades come to be in this world. Do you not notice that magical power is flowing out? It is that, that maintains my form. Surely you do not think that this it is without cost that this great Dragon Emperor could be witnessed by you?"

Shirou ignored the narcissistic comment and focused on what she had said instead. He was maintaining her form on the physical plane? He could feel the minuscule drain on his reserves. The amount was so small it could easily be ignored. The connection was similar to the Holy Grail War's Servants connection with their masters, but different. Shirou sighed. He asked the same question he had asked her weeks ago.

"How is it that you came to be inside me anyway? And how come you were in that form?" Shirou waited for the answer that never came. He had always wondered why this Dragon, a being who had almost no equal, was stuck inside him. He had asked Lucretia about what had been inserted into him. She said she did not know what it was. She just knew that the object they had transplanted unto him was a strange ball of light and fire. And that it had been first owned by the step-father of his savior. How come the Dragon's core was a mere piece of object? It shoud be more than that.

"Shirou-kun?" Lucretia sneaked up from behind him. She did not seem to notice the other occupant of the balcony. But she did avoid the chair the Dragon was sitting in. Shirou stared at Gaericus with a questioning look. The Dragon merely shrugged.

"She does not have enough magical sense to see _me_. This ancient one is too powerful to be seen by the likes her, a mortal. She would die if this ancient one were to reveal a fraction of _my_ power to her." Gaericus sat on the chair enjoying the view.

The city established since ancient times started to awaken. People below prepared for the day.

"What are doing here out so early?" Lucretia had a robe to cover herself with from the cold. Thank the Root for the cold morning. She was obviously only in her underwear. "You had another nightmare?" Lucretia ruffled his hair. She lifted him up and placed him on her lap as she sat on the chair Shirou had been on.

Gaericus remained silent by the side. Shirou turned away from the Dragon but he could still sense the power emanating from the direction Gaericuswas in. Shirou made himself comfortable on the Lucretia's lap trying to ignore the Dragon from the corner of his peripheral view.

"I told you not to worry about that Ruku-san." Lucretia frowned at the name. She had gotten him to call her _mother_ in their rare private moments but he seemed to have reverted to calling her by name. Lucretia pinched Shirou cheeks.

"Mou, Shirou-kun! Call me Okaa-chan!"

"Ohay, I'hh caww you Okaa-san." Lucretia let go of his reddened cheeks. Shirou's small hands rubbed them to soothe the redness.

"That's better, now, tell me about your nightmare this time." Ever since they had become closer, Shirou had told her about how his memories were being integrated. The nightmares were a side effect of it. Shirou found himself trapped. The memory was not his. And the probable owner of the memory was just right beside them. He did not want to reveal what he had seen. He was not even sure if it really was Gaericus' memories. He did not like this situation.

He was comfortable with revealing his memories. But revealing what was most likely very sensitive information would not be healthy for him. From both sides. Lucretia would ask questions. Gaericus might just do something. He did not understand how the ancient Dragon's mind worked.

Lucretia waited patiently. The three very different beings sat there silently watching the rising sun. A witch, a magus and a dragon were sitting together on the porch of a hotel. It was like the beginning of a joke. One very sick joke on Shirou's expense.

Lucky for him, Haidee burst into the room. Shirou had to praise her timing.

"We have some people looking for you Lucretia-san." Haidee's tone was hurried. "They are just outside the door." The hotel room's design looked similar to that of a condominium unit. It was spacious enough allowing room for two bedrooms, a lounge, and a large bath. Haidee had stayed in the other room. Though she did insist she should be one staying with Shirou.

Lucretia put Shirou down from her lap and went with Haidee.

"Stay in the room Shirou-kun." The witch bade him as she walk out of the room. Haidee blocked the doorway and faced him.

"I would like you to please stay in the room Shirou-sama. It is unknown who those men are and what they are doing here. But I would like you to stay here just in case." Haidee stopped Shirou before he could protest. "It is not you that I do not trust Shirou-sama, it is them. So please understand." His Knight was apologetic as she looked at him. With that, Haidee closed the door. Shirou reinforced his ears. If he could not be there, he could at the very least know what was happening.

* * *

-0-

The young Knight made her way towards the lounge area. The witch was already in there with her legs dangling over the other and her arms crossed. She took a seat beside the witch. On the other side of the table were two men. Haidee recognized the two men according to the insignia on their clothes. They were members of the Copper-Black Cross.

"We would like to apologize for the sudden intrusion Lady Lucretia, but it is an emergency. The Diavolo Rosso's niece has been kidnapped from a hospital nearby. We currently have a lead and would like your assistance with it. She is a newborn babe and her mother has passed out after giving birth. We do not know who took the baby. A number was left on the scene after the kidnapping, but that's it. The mother of the child is a coma. We would like your assistance in finding the child, Lady Lucretia." The two men bowed with their heads almost on the floor.

Lucretia analyzed the situation. Something wasn't adding up here. How had the kidnappers gotten inside the hospital and made out with the baby? The peace between factions were already bordering on chaotic. This kind of issue would not end well. The niece of the newly assigned leader of the Copper-Black Cross was just kidnapped? This was one very serious matter.

"I would help of course." The two men simultaneously let out breaths of relief. "But do you have anything else? Have you tried calling the number? Was there anything else left on the scene?"

"Well, we have tried calling the number. But they would not answer unless it was the Diavolo Rosso. They had been very persistent on this demand. We have tried means on tracing their location during the call, but it was a dead-end."

"Where was the number written on?" The taller of the two men handed her a piece of paper.

Lucretia took it. A vision of a dark room came to her. Then a dirt road leading to a warehouse in the middle of a forest. The vision ended a split second later. Quite convenient, the Memories provided her with the information she needed almost immediately. It was an oracle. She, as a witch, had a predisposition for such things. She had learned to control her abilities over the years for her own gains. It was worth it.

" _The Knight's struggle..._

 _A debt repaid, a favor gained..._

 _And a Shard obtained..."_

"Was that a spirit vision?" The words sounded ominous to Haidee. The Knight, probably referred to her.

"Yes..." Lucretia nodded.

"And the Shard?" She just had her doubts. Weren't oracles supposed versed according to the receivers. It was not like her master was listening to the conversation right now. Right? No, scratch that. He was probably listening right now, by what methods she did not know of. So he probably knew what it was reffering to.

The witch and the knight looked at each other. The comprehension dawning on them, they had a silent agreement. They both needed to keep Shirou close. If he heard of the situation, he would most likely want to help. They knew he could take care of himself. But that did not stop them from worrying about him. He was a child. Technically he wasn't. Not that Haidee knew this.

The Witch of Sardinia looked at the two men. They were both standing with backs straight and heels light. They were awaiting her orders. Her mind was already thinking of what she needed to do. Her train of thoughts stopped when she noticed a small red haired child in front of her. He looked expectantly back at her with unyielding resolve. She knew this would happen. And she would not be able to do anything to stop him. It was for the best that she tell him of the situation to maximize efficiency. Just that his involvement wouldn't be anything too dangerous. Not like she could keep him away from danger.

"Shirou-kun?" Lucretia ignored the startled yelps from the two men. It was like they had just noticed that a beast was in the same room as them. A very dangerous beast. The two men were trying to do everything not to sprint out of the room. Their composure was broken. "Your magical power is leaking."

"Huh? Oh, sorry. I forgot about that." He shuffled on his feet embarrassed. Then he remembered the Dragon he left in the room. "Uh, I'll be back."

The witch smiled, amused. Her mind returned to the situation at hand.

"Find me the locations outside of Rome that have private dirt roads leading to an abandoned two-story dilapidated warehouse which is either owned by a private shipping company or was formerly owned by them. It should be in an area surrounded by thick foliage of trees."

The two men shot out of the room like rabbits going for the safety of their burrows. Whatever they thought of that red headed kid, they both agreed on one thing. Their rational mind could not comprehend whatever aura he was emitting. What the human mind does not understand, it reacts in many different ways. The most prevalent, primal **fear**.

The two women waited for a few moments before a sweating Shirou made it out of the bedroom. He looked at both of them waiting for a reaction. He seemed satisfied for some reason.

"Let's go?" Shirou waited for them.

"Is something wrong Shirou-sama?" The magus' face could not be seen as he was facing towards the door. Shirou was a terrible liar, in most realities. He just stayed silent as he opened the door widely. A few more moments before he looked behind him. His face stiff.

Something was wrong. But the two women didn't know what it was. Maybe it was the spirit vision? Most like. "Let's go." The knight followed after her master. She did not go by Shirou's side but followed behind him. Lucretia gave this no thought. More important things were on her mind right now.

* * *

-0-

Sir Caderouse Mcmillan stood in his room in front of a mirror. The smell of sex, liquor, and drugs was wafting in the air. He was the current top dog of the Italian underwolrd. There were still resistance from the other groups but it was just all a matter of time. He inspected his newly cleaned leather jacket. It was made of genuine leather. Snake leather to be exact.

His short stature belied his muscled build. His body was bulky, and could be suspected for fat. If not for the well-designed close fitting clothes. Everything was going well for him. Hell, everything was going well for him once he agreed in joining the Circle of the Black Knights. Someone had approached him from the magical organization. He agreed to join. He was not a mage. He didn't even know something like magic existed. But once he learned of it, everything changed for the better for him.

He helped the Circle, and the Circle helped him. But this would not be for long. It was just a matter of time. He had been planning to take over the entire organization from the moment he had learned of it. This was just the beginning. For him. He grinned back at the mirror. Soon, everything would be his. He would crush them all. The weaklings thought they could control him? Hah! He'd show them. A black mace appeared in his hands. It was their mistake for giving him this.

The mace was about a meter long. Its spherical spiked head was dripping with magical energy. It was a morning star. This was his weapon. It was more than just a simple weapon. It was a magic weapon. He had to clamp down on the urge to cackle madly.

His misguided belief was all because of that weapon. It had a powerful ability, but using the mace had side effects on the user. It was a cursed weapon from an unknown age. The mace was forged from a metal that was said to have fallen from the skies. It would slowly bring the user to insanity with each use.

A knock on his door interrupted him. He felt a vein popping in his head.

"Come in." His new assistant entered the room. It was a large man who could easily be called a giant. The man ignored the contents of the room and reported immediately.

"The baby is being taken to the warehouse as right now boss. The car is waiting for you outside."

"Then let's go." The assistant opened the door for his boss.

Sir Caderouse took a caress of _his_ weapon. They would not take this away from him. He would show those fools. He was not being paranoid. He was just making sure.

This plan was something he came up with when he learned that the dead brother of the newly assigned leader of one of the most prominent groups in the magical world had a wife. And that wife was pregnant with a child. He was not a man who looked a gift horse in the mouth. The pregnant woman was a prime candidate for kidnapping. But when he learned that she had gone into labor, he went for the newborn baby. It was a basic move. One that was applied all too commonly in the underworld. He kidnapped the baby, then he would use the baby as a hostage.

Sir Caderouse did not care for the moral justifications of his actions. Morals were for the dead men rotting in the gutters of Rome right now. Such things as morals and ethics did not exist in the real world. It was 'the strong eat the weak' world for him. He did not make it to the top of the Italian mafia underworld by being soft.

He did not care for the Circle, they were just a stepping stone to him. The short man looked around him as he stepped out of the building. Old and run down structures were all around him. The area had been a former thriving business section of the city. Now it was nothing but a hiding place for hoodlums and the nest of poverty. He had cleared the area of its residents. The section of the city was sold to him by the mayor when he had sent the man a picture and a letter. Blackmail and death threats, the bread and butter of any decent syndicate group. If that didn't work? Corpse bags and missing limbs. It mostly worked though.

A block had already been allocated in the section to be demolished and rebuilt into a casino and gambling dens. He had more plans of course. But for now, he had a powerful magic organization to take over. A gleeful grin spread on his face.

 _Everything would be his._

* * *

 _-0-_

Shirou waited under the shadows of the forest surrounding the warehouse. It was far outside of the city and was owned by shipping company under the name of Maceio Corporation. A shipping company that was owned by an anonymous member of the city council. A man who was known in the Circle as Sir Caderouse. Shirou had heard of the man from his knight. They gave the man a title of a knight? The man was more a criminal than a knight. If what Haidee had told him was the truth, which he trusted it to be, then he might as well start planning for the destruction of this so-called Circle. It was no longer what it once was. Shirou knew what the Circle was supposed to be.

Haidee's real father was the very paragon of its ideal. _Former_ ideal.

The magus watched as a shadow passed a window inside the warehouse. There was activity inside. He gathered his resolve. There was someone that needed to be saved in front of him. It was all that mattered for the moment. His mind became that of a cold analytic warrior.

Shirou reinforced his limbs and made his way to the warehouse. He had been observing the location for a quarter of an hour now. That was after escaping Lucretia and Haidee. They would be angry with him. But that thought was not on his mind. He focused solely on his task. Shirou timed himself. Just as a guard was passing by under a window, he had already leaped from the metal fence and made his way into the shadow of the building. He used prana burst on his legs to make his way to the roof.

The outside of the building looked desolate and abandoned. Except for the fresh tire tracks leading from the gate.

His mind was hatching a hundred scenarios that lead to his main plan. Infiltrate the warehouse. Secure the hostaged baby. Get the hostage into a safe location. Return to the warehouse. Observe. Gather information.

That was the basic outline of his plan. But all his plans usually went FUBAR.*

And it did. The screeching of tires on the dirt road alerted Shirou. He immediately hid from view, observing from the top of the warehouse. Three black cars came into view. Someone from the first car went out to open the gate to allow them all in. A single thought came to Shirou.

Organized criminal organization. Italian mafia. This was not the first time that he had met criminals who used magecraft for their own benefits. From his memories, he even recalled a time when he was sent to silence a Chinese Triad group. He had witnessed the worst that creative criminals had used their magecraft on. Even the most basic ability of hypnotism could be abused. It was a bloodbath after that. He was an Enforcer of the Clock Tower, he complied with his duties willingly that time.

The car doors opened letting out four men from the first car, three from the second, and eight from the last van. The car in the middle was where the leader was. Typical. Shirou observed the short stocky man going out from the opened door of the vehicle in the middle. A large man opened the door for the short man. Did every criminal really need a large muscle man for the position of second-in-command? Probably. Maybe it was just his luck?

Shirou reordered his priorities. Secure hostage. Capture the leader for interrogation. The man's appearance was what Haidee had described of Sir Caderouse. He was one of the three leaders that Haidee had a physical description of. The group below made their way inside.

" _Structural Analysis"_

Geometrical blue lines ran around the building. The lines returned and converged back on the point where Shirou had placed his palm on. There was a total of 42 persons inside. The hostage was inside a room guarded by three guards outside the door. Inside the room, there was a woman carrying a baby. The target. Shirou projected a key according to the door of the rooftop. He could easily avoid the patrols by applying a sonar like structural analysis. It was an upgraded version that was developed by an alternate reality of himself.

The sonar structural analysis functioned by detecting the vibrations on the prana immersed floor. It was more prana efficient and could be cast without an aria as long as he had the prana to maintain the sonar. And he had so much more prana than he could think of using.

Shirou navigated his way around the second floor of the warehouse going for the shortest route to the target without alerting the patrols. As he neared the extraction room, he traced three mundane swords and shot them out. The targets were hit with deadly accuracy. Shirou was already on the move before any of the guards could struggle further. He traced an armblade that fit right on his small arms. The armblade was a mystic code, one that became a noble phantasm after its owner ascended to the Throne of Heroes.** But he felt it was enough, the original armblade was large that it would be unwieldy. He had to apply modifications as he traced it. Space distorted as Shirou appeared in midair behind the last man who was about to fire his gun.

The armblade went out of the man's chest as it was stabbed on his back. Blood spurted out of the gaping hole as Shirou pulled out the serrated armblade. Just as he was about to kick down the door, his reinforced sense of hearing heard another screech of tires from outside. Gunfire exploded on the first floor. He used the noise below to muffle the sounds of him kicking down the door. Four men were heading right for his location and they were just around the corner.

Shirou opened the door to reveal a frightened woman carrying a baby while nursing her. The baby was probably too hungry to put any notice on the noise outside the room. The woman was probably an innocent. She wasn't armed and she looked normal. As normal as a person could be. When the woman recognized it was just a small child that had entered, she seemed to calm down. Until she saw the blood on his clothes and the large armblade on his arms. He didn't have time for hesitation.

"Follow me." The woman followed after Shirou with some pause. They were heading right in the direction where the men were coming from. "Stop."

Shirou made the woman duck with the baby in her bosom. He sprinted straight towards the charging men. They seemed surprised to see him. He made use of their momentary pause to activate the mystic code. He was already in motion before the men could react. They all dropped dead not even knowing what killed them. The cuts were clean and precise.

Mercifully quick and dangerously efficient. That was the motto of the previous owner of the blade. Blood spilled on the floor from the corpses. He had to get the baby and the woman out of here as fast as possible. It was too dangerous to trek back to the rooftop. And it was even worse to go downstairs. A stray bullet could hit them.

Another set of footsteps were nearing their location. Going back would just trap him, it was better to make his stand here. Shirou stood his ground with the armblade in his right hand, blood dripping from its edges.

"Well, well. Whaat do wee ave' heeere?" The short stocky mafia boss showed up with a leering grin drawling his words out.

Shirou stood there silently, sharpening his mind for a strike. Memories from the blade flooded him. Unsavory memories. But it was necessary. He copied a stance from the memories, crouching like a beast. He could move within a split second to create shields to protect the innocents behind him. If they attacked, he had to do this fast. The baby was just behind him. He did want the little child to get hurt. The man seemed to have taken a read of his intentions.

"Bring me the child woman. If you do, I might spare your family." The woman reacted at that.

Shirou stayed in the crouch, the men were weary of him for some odd reason. He couldn't see what the woman was doing but her footsteps came closer to Shirou. "Stay behind me." The woman stood behind him in rigid fear. He could almost hear the loud beating of her heart. Something odd was happening here. But he didn't give it anymore thought.

"Oh? So you don't care if your family dies?" The woman behind Shirou still didn't move. She was visibly shaking in her feet, torn between fear and indecision. "Your family is already dead anyway." Sir Caderouse waited for the woman's reaction, he wanted to see the despair in her eyes one last time before he killed her. But he got no reaction. He then looked at Shirou in recognition. "Well, ain't it my lucky day. I got more than I bargained for in this operation." His grin widened.

Shirou remained silent. He needed to find a way out of this. He couldn't just use the armblades abilities again. He had three choices. Kill the enemy immediately with a rain of blades. Create a shield to protect them. Or he could wait it out. Option three was the best choice considering some oddities concerning the situation.

But there was someone in the line of fire if he got out of it. Shirou expanded his sonar pouring out more prana from his circuits. This ability was starting to tire his mind. He still had more prana but the necessary brain output was needed to recognize and detail the sonar readings. Another set of footsteps were rushing here from the first floor. The scent of a familiar prana signature invaded his senses. It was Haidee's. The sound of gunshots below explained her situation to Shirou.

They were trapped. Bullets were battering the cover they were hiding in. They were trying to get upstairs but that would put them in the line of fire. They could do it. Shirou could smell the scent getting stronger, prana was gathering downstairs. Haidee was preparing a spell. Or probably an arrow...

The magus just needed to make time, he needed to delay the inevitable confrontation. Then his knight could make her way upstairs. Maybe then the situation could get better. For him.

"What do you want?" Shirou posed the question he already knew the answer to.

"Why don't you drop that sharp pointy knife and come here closer kid. I'll play nice." Sir Caderouse put his hands up in a none threatening gesture while motioning for the people behind him to remove their hands from the guns' trigger. There was a smile on the man's face which made him look more threatening if he already wasn't.

Besides the fact that Shirou didn't want the man dead because he wanted information, his hands were itching to kill the man. His mind was already making plans. He could trace swords to block the gunfire but that would also disable the mystic codes abilities. He needed to be able to see his target so that it could function. The armblade was something he had seen when he was sent by Alaya to annihilate a horde of voidlings. The original owner of the blade was a true elite among assassins. The man was even able to escape him, a Counter Guardian.

He could always pull out a shield large enough to protect people behind him. But his instinct were telling him not to. He could feel eyes on him. This worlds' mages didn't know how to cover their use of magic. It was not on him that the spell was being concentrated on nothing but the man in front of him. He didn't want anyone seeing his more powerful noble phantasms. Maybe it was arrogance that played a part in the decision. His mind was too focused to be distracted by stray thoughts.

A new scent invaded Shirou's nose. It was the scent of prana with a different signature. Shirou stepped closer to the baby.

"Come out." The magus shouted his words to the ceiling. "Do not take me for a fool. I know you are there." A body made of prana jumped down from the shadow of the roofs.

"You!" Sir Caderouse snarled at the woman.

The mysterious woman just smiled lightly. She had a cloak with the hood covering her face. "Oh my, Sir Caderouse? What a pleasant surprise to find you here. I heard there was a foolish dog who thinks itself a wolf had strayed here. Might you know where I can find it?" The feminine voice taunted.

The man's face contorted into anger, his face red with veins bulging from his head. Sir Caderous understood the allusion of the dog. A crazed dog that needed to be put down. The guns pointed at the newcomer, they deemed her more of a threat than the child.

Shirou could feel his pride sting. Even his warrior persona was infected with it. He felt slight annoyance as he frowned. He unconsciously released his prana flooding the area. The guns' barrels returned to him, Shirou had the urge to facepalm at that. He saw the men feeling unease. The woman behind Shirou fainted, she being the nearest one to him. Shirou caught the woman and laid her gently on the floor. The baby in the woman's arms started crying. Shirou inched his way towards them, taking the baby in his arms. "Sleep." The blue eyes were lidded as the baby drifted off to sleep.

The hooded intruder finally shook off her shock from the surprise of what he had done. She straightened her form and kneeled. Shirou could see the woman trying not to stare at him. He could see the woman lowering her gaze to the floor, avoiding to stare at him.

"It was wrong of me to ignore you Lord Campione. I apologize for being impolite. Had I known you were there, I would not have been so insolent." Shirou's aura receded, making the woman's breathing ease down. The other group was still too tense from his uncontrolled outburst.

"What makes you think I am a Campione? What if I was a Heretic God?" Shirou's tone was devoid of all emotions, his mask returning as he looked upon the scene with the eyes of a warrior. The background sounds of guns and men dying downstairs was the only thing that could be heard.

Shirou could see no reaction from the mafia members at the mention of the words. Sir Caderouse reaction only to stare at him. This proved Shirou's earlier hypothesis that he was not a mage. If the man really was a mage or even just a little bit more educated on the world of magic, he would have had a more dramatic reaction. Shirou knew this because of what Lucretia told him. Campiones were never disrespected. All who knew of magic knew that it was foolish to do so. Campiones were feared and treated like gods, rulers, kings.

The woman stuttered with her next few words. She cursed under her breath. She just had to volunteer for this. She didn't know that someone like the person in front of her could appear. She remembered the boy, it was the target that Sir Antonio was supposed to capture a few weeks ago. No wonder he failed. The boy was a Godslayer?! What rock had the child-like being been hiding in? There were no reports of the birth of new Campione. So the child, no the being in front of her could only have been in hiding. Or he had used an Authority to appear here.

She chose her next words carefully. It wouldn't do any good for her to lie, some Campione's were known to have the ability to sense deceit. But it wouldn't be good for her to tell everything either.

"I-I would not be so foolish as to presume this but we- I think you are a human milord." The woman's tone was respectful. She made no other move. The building was shook by an explosion from below. The scrapping of shoes against the floor signaled the approach of another person.

Shirou could not help but let out an internal sigh of relief. "That is not your true body. Is it?"

"It is not milord. This is merely a spirit projection." Shirou studied her carefully. This was a surprise. So the magecraft of this world could allow the projection of an astral body. But how far away was the original body from this location. How long could they maintain this? What were the neccesary prepartaion and incantations to do this? His magus mind worked to find answers with the information he had.

"YOU! YOU!" The short mafia boss was shaking with a finger being pointed at both him and the woman. He had perceived being ignored by both the woman and the boy to be an insult. That he was just a mere nuisance.

Shirou felt annoyance grip him again. Who did this man think he was? Puny pathetic mortal. He shook off the urge to channel Gilgamesh on the man and start insulting him with "mongrel". He'll have to ask Gaericus how to deal with this. It was seriously impairing him.

"Silence you dog." The man lowered his hand with a pale face at Shirou's command. He was done playing nice. The man called out to his weapon.

" _Bone breaker, skull crusher_

 _With madness comes clarity_

 _With insanity come power_

 _Come to my hands, Rungu!" *^_

A battle cry resounded from the other end of the hall. A blur landed in front of Shirou. It was his knight.

"Arise from your knees. What is your name?" Shirou could feel his personality twisting with the new weapon in hand. But his goal was still the same. Protect the child in his arms. The hooded female arose from her knees. She refused to take another look at him.

"I am called as Lady Vashti by my... comrade's milord."

"My liege, I have arrived. I apologize for my tardiness. I was held back by your _mother_. She has bidden that I take care of you." Haidee eyed the man in front of her master. A savage smile appeared on both their faces. This was something that they had both been awaiting. "May I plead for this request my liege, will you please honor me the privilege of battling _Sir Caderous Mcmillan._ " It was not a question. More of a pleading suggestion.

Shirou looked at his knight, he knew this was inevitable. Haidee needed closure for her father's death. The shortest path to that was for her to avenge him. "You are _weak._ " The words came out of his mouth before he could even think of what he said. Haidee obviously wilted from his words. "But if you must then do so. Prove to me the strength of your father's convictions." Shirou could see her resolve strengthen. She would prove it to him. Good.

The hooded woman had to stop herself from panicking. This was the worst decision she had ever made. She wasn't Sir Castor who could use his wit to get out of the worst. She wasn't Sir Fleur either who could impress people with his valor and strength of arms, easily gaining the hearts of most. She wasn't like that genius Professor who _probably_ had a device that could get him out of this situation. In short she was royally screwed. Unless Haidee had not already told the _Campione_ of the Circle. She had gone missing since the event where a mythical beast was thought to have attacked a city in Sardinia. They did not know that the knight had sworn loyalty to a _Campione._

If she damned all else and escape. And hope the _Campione_ wouldn't find her somehow. That wasn't possible. Besides, she could turn this into an advantage if she played her cards right. She hoped.

The bow in Haidee's arms turned into twin daggers. The daggers looked like primitive hunting daggers but each were a foot long. They had straws as grips. The blades had the appearance of something made of stone, but Shirou knew they were not. It was made from a strange alloy of metals.

Haidee took a stance with one dagger held in a backhanded grip in front and the other hidden behind her back. The knights held each other's gaze before charging in moments later. Haidee struck first, ducking from a blow and delivering a swipe at her opponent's guts. Sir Caderouse evaded by following after the momentum of his swing and turning around to deliver a smash with the morning star's spiky ball.

The female knight swiftly leapt back. She was light on her feet and she was fast. But with each exchange, her opponent was becoming faster. Sir Caderouse was starting to lose his reason and was relying more on animalistic instincts. He followed Haidee with swing after swing of his mace. Bigger and bigger cracks appeared where the spiked ball landed with his inhumane strenght. His eyes were dilating and losing their focus.

The mafia members were stunned. They were afraid to point their guns at fight because they might hit their boss. They only watched in shock and amazement thinking how were they able to move that fast. To Shirou who had seen sword strikes as fast as lightning, this was nothing but a slow motion fight with too much strength wasted, movements too excessive and sloppy executions of strikes. His reinforced eyes followed each exchange, his hands were twitching.

Haidee leapt back to her master. She was tiring, and slowing down. There were no wounds on her, but it was only a matter of time. She had to end this fast or she would lose. Her enemy had various flesh wounds, but he was getting stronger instead of weaker. The man in front of her was no longer a man. He was no better than an irrational beast. Sir Caderouse eyes were bloodshot red, his mouth was dripping saliva from his bared teeth. Movement alerted the crazed man, he struck his mace revolving on the soles of his feet to what he perceived as an enemy. The assistant's head was no more than a pulp of brutalized flesh and bones.

Haidee chose this moment to strike while her enemy had his back to her. She was no proper knight, she was more of an assassin than a knight. And the exchange of blades between assassins were quick two or three exchanges. The man who knew how to find a weakness and strike it faster than his enemy could, won. Haidee's mind worked in the same way. Her daggers found their way on the man's lower spine and the base of his neck. She leapt back as Sir Caderouse stumbled forward into the still warm corpse in front of him.

The surviving knight called out to her weapons, making them return to her hands. It became a bow again. She turned towards her master expectantly. But what he saw was not approval but rather fascination. He was looking at the rising corpse behind her. Like a zombie from a B-rated horror movie, Sir Caderouse rose back up on his feet. His hands were still on the mace. The same black miasma that Shirou had seen on the former weapon of Sir Antonio was being emitted by the corpse. The source was the mace. So this was the weapon's true ability?

Haidee looked at the same sight her master was finding fascinating.

"Huh!?" Her intelligent response to the sight in front of her almost amused the magus. _Almost_.

"Stand back. You have proven yourself well, Haidee." The knight smiled at her master's compliment. She moved aside taking the bundle from his arms.

The smile on the magus' face slipped off. Shirou felt the tug, a blade was calling out to him to be summoned. He allowed it. The armblade dissipated. Another weapon materialized in Shirou's arms. The black battle axe appeared in his arms. A weapon shrouded by shadows, the people around him shivered at the mere sight of it. Blood was dripping from it. It was finally in the hands of a worthy master. Information flowed into Shirou, how the former masters of the weapon held it, wielded it, and swung it came to him.

Shirou's legs bent in a ninety degrees angle with his knees pointing forward. He held the twin axes in front of him raised to shoulder level, horizontal to each other. The crazed undead man charged forwards dragging the mace on the floor. Shirou leapt up into the air gaining momentum from his fall, he swung both axes down. The twin axes bit into the mace, breaking it. Body parts flew everywhere as Shirou landed with his hands being embraced by his armpits while he was kneeling. They were not able to see, but Shirou had slashed the man four times before he had landed. The people there were only able to witness his hands as blurs, as intestines and internal organs were scattered everywhere.

The bloody child stood up and stared at the men holding their guns. One by one they dropped their weapons, it wasn't worth dying for trying to kill this monster. Shirou's hair was almost indiscernible from the blood that was smeared on him. His knight approached him and took a handkerchief out of her pockets. She wiped his face with it. It would have looked quite endearing like a sister wiping her little brother's face, if only the scene of carnage wasn't so disgusting.

"That was beautifully done my liege."

Several of the witnesses were green faced from the scattered gore. A man even spilled out what he ate for lunch, pasta with tomato and spaghetti sauce, good to know.

The parts of the broken mace on the floor started floating and revolved like a forming planet. The revolving black mass floated to Shirou, it was absorbed into his body as the bloody axes disappeared. Inside him, the shard was consumed by the wolf. New memories came along with it. It was like finding a piece to a puzzle, as his broken two pieces of shards combined into one. Even as a broken shard, the weapon was reforged and still became a Noble Phantasm. How that was so, he didn't know.

The memory of a black armor clad man came to Shirou. He was a man who was a victim of the tragedy of the old system of the worlds. A lesser known Hero who fought for a woman he loved, a man who sought out revenge for the slaughter of his comrades, the Black Swordsman who was branded for a sacrifice. Shirou felt mixed emotions as he saw the memories contained within the shard. _A man betrayed by his ideals when he had betrayed his..._

* * *

-0-

A soaked Shirou was being scrubbed pink and raw by an angry Lucretia. The reincarnated warrior knew one thing that was true in almost all realities.

Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.

A very wise man once said. And Shirou was relearning the truth of it. The heat of battle had cooled down. Shirou had to hold a yelp as the buxom woman scrubbed _really_ hard on a blood stain on his flesh. He was going to let her cool her head with this. The woman was naked as she took the showerhead and let the ice cold water pour down on Shirou. Okay. She was pissed. It was not like it was his fault. Was it? If Lucretia asked whose fault it was, he'd say it was his.

Shirou had been able to intercept the men who had found the location Lucretia had specified. With an excuse to go to the bathroom, he had escaped to go make a rescue. Now he was paying for it. With a hard blood scrubbing session from Lucretia. The worse thing was, he knew he would do it again.

"Shirou." The woman's voice was warm. "Don't worry me again like that okay? At least next time you do something like that, tell me." Like he could, she would probably lock him up if he did tell her he was going out to hunt down some criminals. But for the sake of comfort he said it.

"Yes Okaa-san..."

"I know you're going to do it anyway regardless of my wishes, but please be safe okay?" Lucretia had almost fainted when a blood soaked Shirou appeared with Haidee in front of their hotel room's door. The witch pinched Shirou's cheeks. "You worry your mother so much she doesn't know when she would grow to have white hair Shirou-kun." The chiding tone from Lucretia hid her worry. "Now come here and let me dry you up. You're going to bed while I'm meeting our guests, they are coming early today."

Shirou wanted to protest that he wanted to stay up for the meeting. But he knew better than to argue. He was already asleep on his feet anyway. The day was over and night had arrived. So had the sun set down from the horizon to the west.

Lucretia carried the already asleep Shirou and tucked him into bed. There were things to attend to. She sipped from her hot coffee as she waited in a separate room of the hotel. Even if she was sure Shirou was asleep, she didn't want him worrying tired and sleepy as he was. So she was on a different floor in the hotel in one of the empty rooms appropriated for conferences and meetings.

She'd need lots of caffeine to get through the evening. A meeting had been arranged between her and the Diavolo Rosso. It was funny how the potentially disastrous situation was established to be in their favor. Shirou had done well even if he did make her worry. She was sure he could take care of himself, but that stop her from worrying. Change of plans were being made in her mind as Lucretia thought of more creative ways to take advantage of their luck.

Now... she just needed another a cup of this delicious coffee and she would be starting the meeting. Sounds of people approaching could be heard.

Oh she would play her game, it had been quite a time since she got to play.

* * *

A.N.

I cut the chapter short. Not my fault... I swear it's not. Anyway...

Yay~ for updates! I was busy last week, so the late update. Here's more blood and gore~And as promised, the fighting scene. I don't know if it was satisfying though. It was too short, though I like it short and sweet. Not long and oh so detailed but boring. The real meat of the story wouldn't be until chapter 10 though... Oh well.

I comply to my self-imposed deadlines. Just because this is a hobby doesn't mean I don't take it seriously.

Ok... Shirou might be a bit of a game breaker by just pullin out a weapon out of his UBW to kill his enemies. But he can't solve everything by being an all powerful killing machine anyway. Oh well. Just hope I can pull this off.

Anyway, Shirou's character is off. Why? I'm having a hard time trying to portray the scenario I'm tryin' to pull. His memories and personalities are mixing. Arghh... I'm having to explain this on the A.N., just shows how untalented I am as a writer. I'll do my best anyways. I'm tryin to pull another thing, just hope I won't have to explain it...

I'M SORRY! Imma noob~ Please forgive me~

Oh, and the M rating is there for a reason. I already deleted a few scenes because I thought they were too extreme. My brother thought so too. I don't get why…

And I feel like rolling on the floor for the full chuuni mode...Lol fck...But that's where my creativity comes from.

*Fucked Up Beyond All Repair, for those who don't know what FUBAR is... there are other acronyms for it. This is the one I use.

**Anyone who played League of Legends? Well, I was a gamer once upon a time. Maintaining a rank of Gold I since S3, pathetic. Right? The armblade was from Talon, my main during Season 2 to Season 3. Why this weapon? It's the most iconic I can think of. Reminds me of Assassin's Creed.

*^Rungu: Can't remember where I saw the word once but I think it means hammer...or was that mace?

On the reviews, overall thank you all. I feel like opening a box of explosives when tryin to read the reviews. I mean, this is my first fanfic. And the further I go down the story, the more likely I'm gonna make a mistake. Then a shitstorm of trashtalk goes my way. This is why I'm scared of the review button for some reason. Don't blame me, I've seen a writer quit his/her story because of that. But I appreciate the corrections and constructive criticism. I may not follow most of em but its well appreciated.

Oh, and I'm abusing OC creation. I've read Naruto Genkyouien by Daniel Rush. It was amazing to say the least. His OC's were original in a sense. The characters had _real character_.

I quote a review by Jashava, here's how the parameter works. Thanks for that.

"With the exception of A, having a attached to a parameter means that in certain situations it will act as if it were a higher rank.  
For example, imagine we have a C beast slaying sword.  
That sword will be a C strength weapon, until one fights something that could fall under the category of 'beast', at which point it will seem as if it was a B rank weapon. When one goes back to fighting non-beast enemies, it will once more seem to be C ranked.

An actual noble phantasm that demonstrates this point easily would be the 'Lord Camelot' shield noble phantasm. This shield is a B anti-evil noble phantasm. It will normally have the strength of a B ranked shield, but if used to defend against something that falls under the category of 'evil' it will have the strength of an A shield noble phantasm."

Here for more props.

Name: Rungu

Type: Anti-Unit

Rank: D

A weapon reforged from the shards of Dragonslayer. It contains the most memory of the original blades rage. The shard holds Dragonslayer's aspect of _madness_. This might be attributed to the blade holding the memories of the original wielder's sanity before slipping into his crazed state. The shard has a notable history after it was reforged into a mace. As a mace, it was owned by a tyrannical Lord during the medieval ages. The Lord was said to be so paranoid that he even slept with the mace to keep him safe. Or was it to keep the mace safe from the thieves. Speculations were never confirmed as the Lord fell into madness. The mace was held by several knights before it was sealed because of the discovered curse from wielding it. Almost all who had used the weapon are said to be afflicted by insanity.

As a Noble Phantasm, the weapon can put the user into a state of madness. If the user has a stronger will than the weapon, then he can overpower it and use. The weapon puts the user in a state similar to Mad Enhancement of Berserkers. It doubles or even triples the physical capabilities of the wielder according to the his/her potential. But the price paid for the activation of the Noble Phantasm is madness.

The weapon has the appearance of a long club with a spiked ball attached to the end by a short chain. Like the original blade's color, it is black.

P.S.

I'm re-editing the earlier chapters. I'm done with chapter 1 and 2. I might delay the next story post until 8-10 days depending on how much time it'll take me to re-edit the earlier ones.

And I think I need a beta.

Re-edit Note(January 20, 2017) Found a beta and helped me edit stuff yay~


	6. Favors and DebtsII(End of an Era)

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot for this story.

Beta reader: MarksmanKNG

"History is bound to repeat itself. That is why we study history, to not make the same mistakes as they had in the past."

-I forgot who said this... Teehee?

* * *

-0-

 **Chapter 6**

Four people were gathered around in a lounge in one of the most luxurious hotels in Rome. All of them were quite well known in their own fields. The first was a woman in a teenager's body. She was an assassin who had inherited the title of "Faceless" and was currently the Knight of a certain red-headed magus. As Faceless, she was quite infamous in the underworld. Though no one really knew what she looked like, she struck like a shadow and left like the wind. There were so many rumors about what she looked like that it was unknown if she even existed.

The second person in the room was 'The Witch of Sardinia'. A woman who's youth and beauty belied a very cunning personality that was hidden by her warm and playful facade. She currently had her back leaning on the chair, relaxing comfortably in the awkward atmosphere.

The third was a young man of the age of twenty three. He was a very famous knight and had earned for himself the title of "Crimson Devil" for both his character and ability as a Great Knight. Having achieved the title of a Great Knight at such a young age, he was quite the charming person. He had gained the title of the "Crimson Devil" when he had opposed Marquis Voban with the 'Witch of Sardinia' and Saint Raffaello during an incident regarding his territory.* The incident had sparked his rising popularity to skyrocket. Paolo Blandelli had a figure comparable to the Statue of David. His face was perfectly crafted sculpture and had an intellectual and noble presence.

The fourth person was an uninvited guest. He was the leader of the most prominent mage association in England. Duke Goddodin, the head of the Witenagemot, was a man in his thirties. He was not of notable appearance but even then, his mind was sharp and his experiences in the political ' _playgrounds'_ were not to be trifled with.

This four different people with, differing personalities, agenda and character were all in one room to discuss a few things. And to exchange favors and debts. They each aimed to come out on top of the dealing table. Paolo was the first to speak.

"I would like to express my sincere gratitude to both of you ladies. Had you not intervened with the situation, it would have gone far worse and my niece would have been harmed. I currently have nothing with me to give you but you may still ask me for it or a favor. _Anything that I can do_. The life of my only blood relative is priceless to me." The Diavolo Rosso bowed his head to the two women in front of him.

"Now, now, Blandelli, why don't you introduce your companion first? It is rude of me to interrupt you, but it is impolite to not introduce your friend, who is quite the stranger to me. Oh, and this is my son's knight, Haidee Morrel." Lucretia teasingly added the last sentence like it was an afterthought to not seem like a hypocrite.

"I am Haidee Morrel, a knight to my lord and master, Shirou Emiya Zola. A pleasure to meet you both, Sir Blandelli, Duke Goddodin." Haidee replied with a cold tone, refusing to meet anyone's eyes but still observing the other people in the room.

"My apologies, Lady Lucretia, I am Duke Goddodin Louise. The current head of the Witenagemot. I've heard quite a lot about you from here and there. I'm sorry for intruding on your meeting but Sir Blandelli has told me that he would be having an important discussion with you. Please do not blame him for this but I was the one who insisted to come along. I had come just arrived from England and I had not been expecting the events from this morning." Duke Goddodin nodded calmly to the Diavolo Rosso, though his mind was rife with emotions.

"Well, it is no matter. Things do not always happen as we expect it to. So shall we begin now? I expect all of you to understand that all the words spoken within this room shall remain here. Now, I think you have your reasons for wanting to meet me Duke Goddodin, but I would like to begin this meeting with news or rather a warning of my own. Haidee?" Lucretia looked towards the girl on her right. The girl stared back at her. Lucretia placed a finger on her chin in a thinking posture. "Now... where do you begin? How about tell them about Sir Caderouse first?"

The other two looked towards her.

"Of course. Sir Caderouse Mcmillan, or more famous as Roberto Verona in the underworld, was the known perpetrator of the kidnapping yesterday. He is a member of the Circle of the Black Knights, a criminal organization that has knowledge and access of use to magic." Haidee's monologue was interrupted by Paolo Blandelli. A frown grew on his face.

"So you mean to say, that it was some criminals who have attempted to kidnap my niece?" There was a hint of disdain on his voice. "So you're saying that some humans who have basic knowledge of magic have been able to infiltrate the hospital where my sister-in-law was confined in which I could confirm was well guarded?"

"Not to disrespect you Sir Blandelli, but I think that the Circle's influence may have already reached further into your organization than you think. I was a former member of the Circle, an honorary member by virtue of my foster father being a leader of the Circle and me being his squire. Before I left, the Circle already had a hold on some of the mage associations by blackmailing and controlling some their members. It was just less than a week ago that I had quit. My master has expressed his desire for me to continue my quest to find a way to destroy the Circle. Though my motivations are no longer the same, my goal remains." Haidee's face was stoic as she stated the words.

"They are a danger." Lucretia muttered, her soft words still heard.

"I will handle this myself. I thank you for informing of this but can you tell any information you have on them?" Blandelli stated with a hint of resolve. Someone close to him had been put to close to danger today because of this shady organization. He would not let this go easily.

"The Circle currently has five other groups under its control which is led by their leaders. The first would be my late foster father's Cult of the Apostles, Sir Antonio. It is a group which has control over some of the remote villages in Italy and some bordering countries. They operate mostly as human traffickers and have been active since the mid-1950s. They control the local populace by use of fear and active use of violence.

The second group would be a branch of the Italian mafia which was led by the former Sir Caderouse. They are the worst group amongst the Circle. Responsible for various crimes and wrongdoings done against the masses.

The third is a group which was a legit mage association until the end of the Second World War. It was an obscure secret society of females whose aim it was to become members of the Hunters of Artemis. I am most likely the only remaining Huntress of Lady Artemis. After some internal strife among the Circle, the elder members had been killed and most of the remaining members have no knowledge how to undergo neither the trials nor the rituals to becoming a Huntress.

Now, it is nothing but a debauched group of arrogant thieves and prostitutes. This is a testament to how the Circle has become nothing more than a disgusting shade of its former self." There was bitterness and venom dripping from Haidee's voice. Yet, she still continued.

"The fourth group is unknown, even among the Inner Circle, the leaders and officials. But I know that it is led by a man known as Sir Castor. Most members who join Circle change their names, but not all. All I know of the group is that they are a very secretive group. The numbers of members are unknown, the only known member is Sir Castor who leads them.

The fifth is the one with the most number of mages and knights. They are led by a man who is known as Sir Fleur. His name is thought to be his real name or a family name. Still not much is known about his group but its name. It is known as the Order of the Ninth Crusade."

The Paolo straightened in his chair. That name sounded familiar. So was the name of Sir Fleur. A noble family of French descent? No... He had read something about it from a file that only he as the leader of the Copper-Black Cross had access to. It had mentioned the results of inhumane experiments that they had orchestrated in order to create a Campione. His memory was hazy but he remembered that it was the file he had yet to read that night when of the 'Prophecy' had happened.

"...There is a sixth unofficial group lead by a man nicknamed as Professor. The group consists mostly of archeologist, librarians, and history analyst. They are responsible for guarding the magical artifacts and finding them. There was a rumor once that said that they were researchers as opposed to the information they provided. I have not been able to take further look into this but I think that it really is just a front. This is the most of what I know of the group you can ask me if you have other questions."

The monologue had gone uninterrupted. The other three occupants of the room were left to ponder on the information. A sigh came out of Duke Goddodin.

"This information you have given is quite troubling. Though it is not within my area of governance, I will provide you with what assistance I can give you Paolo. The Witenagemot would be willing to assist you."

A savory proposition, but it would be a slight on the Italian mages associations if they could not even handle their own affairs.

"Thank you for the offer Duke Goddodin. But I would have to refuse your offer. This matter should be left to us. It is our country and it should be our responsibility." The Diavolo Rosso politely declined the offer. He would not want to put his organization in debt so early when he had just taken the seat as Commander-in-Chief. "I would like to think more on this issue. If it would be fine with you, would I ask you to go to a branch of the Copper-Black Cross tomorrow to give me more details regarding this organization you speak of, Miss Morrel."

"I would certainly be willing to provide assistance in destroying this common enemy." Haidee's eyes gleamed while saying that. She would willingly help of course. Although she said that it was no longer a personal vendetta, deep in heart, she still held a grudge against the Circle for taking away her father from her.

"Duke Goddodin, if I may ask, what has compelled you to join us? Our discussion mostly concerns us, would you like to tell us why you are here today?" Lucretia looked towards Duke Goddodin who stared back evenly.

"I would like to ask a favor of you Lady Lucretia." The witch didn't show any other emotions aside from a slight tug on the edge of her lips.

"I would be willing to assist you. If I can of course."

"My daughter's body is slowly being eaten away by an unknown cause. Day by day, my little Alice grows weaker. In a year, she would no longer be able to walk. In a few more years, she would be bed-ridden. In a few more..." The words left unsaid were of ominous. His daughter would die young.

"I am no healer Duke Goddodin. Merely a witch, maybe a scholar but I am not a doctor." Lucretia replied with playfulness still evident while she sipped another cup of coffee.

"I know this Lady Lucretia. But my daughter is being afflicted by a supernatural cause. I've heard of your expertise and knowledge regarding magic and most things related to the supernatural. I'm not the only one who has heard of your exploits of how you discovered a gate to another realm through the Netherworld." Duke Goddodin was almost pleading by this point. Forget composure and manners, he'd kneel if he had to just to find a cure to his daughter's affliction. "I think... I think that she has been cursed. That is the only reason I can find. I have gone to almost all the best doctors who are all knowledgeable in their own fields, but they have nothing that could explain her disease."

Paolo hoped Lucretia would help. He didn't know if she would, but he was sure she could. He had arranged for the meeting between them, but he didn't expect what had happened this morning. As the new leader of the mage association, doubts about his ability to lead would most likely arise. The best way to solve this was to show results. He had been expecting to use what Lucretia owned him as a bargaining chip. But what she had done to help in her niece' rescue had equalized that. Paolo had planned to ask Lucretia to take a look at Duke Goddodin's daughter instead. But would he would really owe for that one. In exchange, Duke Goddodin would be more inclined to agree to an alliance between the Copper-Black Cross and the Witenagemot.

What he didn't know was that Lucretia was planning to ask him a favor. If he did he wouldn't be having a head-ache right now. It was too late for him to back out now anyway, so he planned to see this to the end. If Lucretia agreed to help the duke, and by extension, if the duke agreed to the alliance because of it, then it would be all good for him. Failure was not an option though. An alliance had to be formed. His organization, the Copper-Black Cross needed this. Their rivals, the Bronze-Black Cross, were winning in a bid for the Marquis Voban's favour. A Campione's favour weighed heavily. If Paolo could not secure an alliance with the Witenagemot, then the Copper-Black Cross had a bleak future ahead of them.

He did not regret having opposed the King of the Balkans those years ago. But his past had come to bite him in the ass. Paolo opened his mouth to speak, but he noticed something from the corner of his eyes.

The duke waited patiently for Lucretia's reply. The woman had a far off look in her eyes contemplating something. Those few moments felt like years for the Duke. But the words that came out her mouth confused him greatly.

"Shirou-kun?" The witch sighed as she daintily placed her cup on the table. The contents were half-empty. "I thought you were asleep?" Without turning her head, she knew that a mop of red hair popped from behind a chair. She had been half-listening to the conversation while her mind wandered to god knows where. Even if Shirou was repressing his magical powers from leaking too much, Lucretia was a very experienced witch. She was not known as the best for no reason.

Even the Crimson Devil was surprised to find a child in the room. How had he entered unnoticed? From a distance, the child emitted a strange aura. Paolo Blandelli had a strange urge to confront the child. The child's innocent appearance did nothing to disguise the sense of danger coming from him. It felt like staring at a beast. Goosebumps run down the back of his neck. The Great Knight could remember feeling the same thing when he, Lucretia and Raffaello had tried to oppose Balkan's King. But this was more primal, instinctive.

The monster in a little child's form approached them. The Diavolo Rosso nearly reached for his sword if not for the composure the other people in the room were showing. He would resist the urge. But he would stay on guard. He didn't show his surprise when the other knight stood from her seat and bowed to the boy. The teenager helped the boy get into the seat comfortable while she stood a respectable distance away. The boy looked irritated by the behavior.

"Haidee. Please sit down."

"As you wish milord." The young woman took a seat beside her master.

" _Mother_." Lucretia looked at Shirou, this would be a first of him saying that word in public. She liked it of course, but she would have loved it better under better circumstances. She knew what Shirou was asking with that look on his face. How could she refuse? The boy rubbed his still bleary tired red eyes with his fist.

The witch didn't know how he found the room for the meeting and why he was still awake when she had seen him snoring in the room when she had checked about an hour ago before they began this discussion.

"Well, it would seem I would have to take a look at your daughter first before going anywhere Duke Goddodin. As I've said, I am not a healer. But I will provide any assistance and information that can help your daughter."

"Thank you. I would very much appreciate that Lady Lucretia. I really do." The duke answered gratefully. Even if there was just a small chance of her daughter being healed, he would gladly take it. He was only short of making a deal with the Devil himself just to find a cure.

Paolo Blandelli intently analyzed the boy, forgetting about the deal he was supposed to make. He had never heard of Lucretia mentioning a son before. With her status it would be understandable for her to keep him secret to keep him safe, but for no information or even a mention? The boy didn't resemble her one bit, maybe in their face shapes. But that was all. Then he remembered the news of Lucretia supposedly taking an apprentice. There were plenty of rumors going around, one being that the apprentice was her adopted son. So this was the boy? This was the witch's apprentice? He shuddered to think of what would become of the boy under the witch's tutelage.

"Would you introduce your son to us then, Lady Lucretia? The duke has a daughter of his own. Maybe they could even meet, you know? Start young?" The Great Knight jested with light humor but his mind was making plans of his own. If he could recruit the boy into the Copper-Black Cross...

"Oh? My my, forgive me for the late introductions then. This is my son, Shirou Emiya Zola." Lucretia didn't mention that he was adopted. She didn't think it was relevant, and she wouldn't mind what people thought anyway.

The duke joined in to dissolve the seriousness of the conversations they had earlier.

"I wouldn't mind your suggestion Paolo. My little Alice is quite the lively one. Maybe you could get along eh, boyo?"

"Ara? What do you think Shirou-kun? Would you like a friend someone _your_ age?" Shirou ignored the jab. Lucretia was probably poking at him for what happened earlier in the day. Women really could keep a grudge.

"Uhm, is your niece alright Sir Blandelli? I think she might have been a bit roughed up from what happened today." The magus tried to steer the conversation away from the matchmaking game. Oh he _tried_.

"I didn't think you wanted to go for the younger one Shirou-kun? I am sorry Duke Goddodin, but I think my son has been smitten by someone else already." Lucretia spoke with dramatic movements. She was getting a laugh out of this. Shirou was sure of it. But he had his own cards.

"Huh? Young un'?" Shirou stared at Lucretia with the well played act. "What do you mean by that, mother?" The magus innocently asked the question complete with his hands on his knees imitating an innocent child.

The duke chuckled good naturedly at that, while Haidee had a small smile on her lips.

"I think he's a bit too young for all this though. But what do you think boyo? Would you want to go visit England?" The duke goaded the child with the proposition. If the child wanted to go, maybe they could immediately set plans for the witch to take a look at Alice.

"We would be going in a week Duke Goddodin." Lucretia stated, maintaining a natural smile, her eyes gleamed brighter. That expression, Paolo recognized it. "On that note, I would like to ask for your assistance on something Blandelli-san."

"Just ask Lucretia, I would gladly provide my assistance." He perked up but kept his voice level. Things were hopefully going his way.

* * *

-0-

The Blue Dragon Emperor sat atop the hotel building Shirou was in. Various emotions playing in _her_ eyes, but her face remained the same. _She_ stared up at the stars looking for signs. The Dragon had lived far too long and had learned how to read the stars to read the future. But a _true_ Hero, who was fated for many great things, could not have their future read. Because they themselves were the ones who built the future. The very _Will_ of the universe was bent according to their aims. That was what the **King of** **Origins** made so. Because they would be the very antithesis of the **Origins**.

As someone who had lived for long, her mind worked on different standard to that of humanity. A promise made by an immortal would last for an eternity. And _she_ had a promise to keep to _her_ dear friend. _She_ still remembered that day when the King died in _her_ arms wounded and bloody. It was a pyrrhic victory for her.

" _History is bound to repeat itself. Everything is affected by the Origins, all the entirety of existence. One day another Hero like me would arise, on that day, please help them. Heroes would be born from the laws I have weaved into the Origins. They will be the symbols of hope, salvation and change. Please promise me this, that you would not fail to guide them as you have guided me..."_

Gaericus mouthed the words before the King's death. _She_ had kept her promise, she regretted nothing. But the weight of the burden was starting to tire her. How long would it be until she would be freed of her oath?

A tear stained face and bloody clothes with arms embracing a warm corpse. _She_ could still vividly remember the scene before the final battle. That time, it had the same kind of scene as this night's. The sky was cloudless and the countless stars twinkling in the dark of night.

The King stood atop a wooden platform with his soldiers arrayed before him. His form straight and proud clad in armor of the dwarves. The man's long crimson red hair shining brightly from the light of torches. Booming voices echoed through the camp as the commanders disciplined their men. People and monsters of every race and kind could be seen mingling in the massive crowd. There were the long eared elves, blood elves, dark elves, high elves, and even naga. There were humans of different skin and hair colors. Monster ranging from swamp trolls to the ice giants. The beast races of the savage bunny tribes to the avian people of the western mountain ranges.**

They had weapons of different kinds, magic and steel. Many had tried to rebel from the gods in the past. But they had failed. This time it was different. They were led by a man who had fought and survived against the Elder Titans and the Gatekeepers. The strongest of the Old Gods. And this time, they were not alone in their struggle.

"We have come a long way from the rag-tag band of raiders we once were." A few laughs could be heard while the King spoke. His voice was mellow and soft, yet it could be heard by all. "I am not that good with speeches. You all call me a king yet I am not. I am only a man who wants to change the world. For that to happen, the Old Gods must be banished. This would be a hopeless battle. Many of us will die. But a price must be paid for everything. For freedom we pay blood, sweat and tears."

Silence reigned as their King spoke. They knew the risks. Rumors were that the King wanted to end the rule of the Old Gods to free the Sun Goddess from her obligation of having to marry. Others said that the King loved the Goddess and wanted her for himself. Yet they all followed him. Their King may have a selfish reason for wanting a new world, but they too wanted it. All the races had rallied here today for the final battle between the armies of mortals and the Old Gods. They wanted freedom. And a man stood before them who symbolized what they wished for, a symbol of hope, salvation and a new world.

"But have not all our battles been hopeless? Have we _mortals_ , not achieved more in a few years than what the Old Gods ever could in a single millennia? The Old Gods have brought as nothing but suffering." The fire burned in their eyes. Suffering and oppression had been imposed by the gods. There were a few exceptions of course, but this was the common case. Only those who were blessed by them would prosper. But now, their rule would be challenged by the very slaves they had created to do their bidding. The King's speech touched their hearts, with his charisma and honest words.

"I want a world where everyone is free. I want a world where all the races of humans, beast-races, elves and demons alike may have the same rights as all those who are not of _noble_ blood. Nor have we not, the Sons of Men been blessed by **Potential**? Haven't the Demons been graced with **Void's** mercy? And doesn't **Reality** view us all as equal that it would not choose any race to manifest in rather appearing where it deems it necessary?

You all have your reasons. Everyone here has. Tomorrow we will prove to the Old Gods that there is steel in men, demons, elves, and beast-men alike. We will prove to them that even the mighty gods do bleed! If it bleeds it can die.

Do you want your freedom!? Would you rather die as free men or aged slaves?!"

"Oooooouuhhh!" A warcry arose from the gathered troops. The fire was starting to burn into a raging inferno. The men who held their shields and swords bashed them to create a thunderous echoing rhythm. Spears and feet pounded the ground shaking the very earth.

"But tonight we feast. Drink and rejoice for this may be our last! A toast for tomorrow's bloody feast! Bring out the best brews!"

Various hollers, laughs and shouts were heard as the men dispersed to prepare what might be their last meals. Their morale was as high as could be. The Dragon remembered that night well, for it was one of _her_ most memorable ones.

The King fought for a single wish, to free a burdened Goddess. Men and monsters followed him alike. Even if they shared not the same goal as the King, they shared his sentiment for freedom. The King showed them an example of true freedom. An army composed of all the races of the world was rallied behind him. All were equal in the King's eyes, be they beast races, elves, men, demons or lesser gods. No one was bound to their people because they were all bound to the king. There was no discrimination, no hatred, no boundaries and laws to follow because all were bound by a single law. Their King's words were their law. It was a revolution.

The Dragon stopped _her_ reminiscence. _Her_ mind wandered to a certain golden eyed Hero. She had seen the rise and fall and many Heroes. But this Hero was different, unique even. Many Heroes strove for impossible dreams, but this Hero's dream was the most naive and impossible of all that _she_ had seen. It is impossible to save everyone. Truly a fool's errand. _She_ had seen many Heroes share that same dream. But they did not have the same steel conviction and iron willed determination. True there were stronger Heroes, but it was neither strength nor power that determined how far they would reach. It was the single minded purpose. The golden eyed Hero was not human, he no longer was. He was a sword forged for a purpose. His mind worked as differently from that of normal as a human's.

A bond had formed between them. Her core was slowly being bound to the Hero's soul. It was slow and subtle, but she noticed it. From the bond, something was flowing. Memories and emotions. From the first memories _she_ received, it was about how the Hero had chosen to save the few over the many. The few had included him. But he still wished to follow the same dream. And in this world, he had been allowed to. _Her_ train of thoughts was interrupted as soft footsteps came closer to her.

"A beautiful night, is it not Hero?" The Dragon in human form spoke in her melodious voice.

"Gaericus-san, I would like to ask you about some things... Again..." Shirou added the last word as an afterthought.

"So you seek answers? Ask away." _Her_ haughty demeanor reminded Shirou of Rin for some reasons.

Letting the thought pass, he asked what had been bugging him since he had woken this morning. "I am changing." He stated it as a fact. "Your _gift_ is changing me Gaericus-san."

The Dragon didn't seem surprised. _She_ had been expecting this even. The magus was subconsciously denying what he was turning into. He could not even access a tiny fraction of the power that he was given.

"In your veins, Hero, flows my blood. _**I**_ am no simple Dragon as you know. In some worlds they have even called this one, the Heavenly Dragon Emperor. _**I am the first Dragon God**_." Pure unadultered power poured out of the Dragon as she said those words. A headache was pounding in Shirou's head as the Dragon kept referring to herself. He couldn't stop himself from falling to the ground on his knees. What was that!? A memory was coming to him, but he could not comprehend it. He knew what it was, but he didn't. It was a contradiction.

One thing was clear though, the Dragon just made it to his 'not to be pissed off people list'. Just right up there with Zelretch and Rin.

"It seems you are still too weak Hero." The Dragon gazed at him softly. _She_ had long since grown apathic to the plight of all beings beside _herself_. Gaericus had not been able to see it. But the more _she_ saw of the magus, the more _she_ was reminded of something from the past. Long buried emotions were rising from the depths of her frozen heart.

"But it is no matter of importance. Right now would be a good time for this ancient one to begin educating you it seems. Now listen carefully Hero. The blood that now runs in you is a both a cursed and blessed crimson ichor. It is a powerful one. A priceless treasure that even the greatest of gods and demons would want. This ancient one bears the burden of the curse of the original sins. The seven deadly sins. It is up to you if you were to indulge in them, I care not. But be careful not to indulge in them too much."

Her carefree and proud tone indicated she wouldn't care for what he would do. What was her objective anyway? That was the question that Shirou had been very much been trying to figure out.

"So the sin of Pride? That's what causing people to act weirdly towards me?" Shirou asked flabbergasted. That couldn't be it.

"Has this Emperor forgotten to tell you that this one is cursed?" The Dragon had was more expressive now that she was in a human's form, and she was showing annoyance. Not that it mattered.

"So what is the curse? Everyone you meet for the first time would be afraid of you?" Shirou asked sarcastically. He wasn't being rude. No, he was just grouchy and needed more sleep. But the surprised expression on the Dragon's face made his heart sink. He hit the mark didn't he? Damn him and his luck. His guess was correct.

"It is. You are more observant than you appear to be. Though it is more than that. Your draconic heritage is making you a feared _predator_. The stronger you become, the more the effects will show. Quite convenient isn't it." The Dragon put _her_ fingers on _her_ chin thoughtfully.

"So I'm not just cursed with having the impulses to act out the seven deadly sins, now I just have to put up with people clinging to the walls when I pass by?" He groaned. He should have expected this. He once said to his kids, "Never accept gifts from strangers." Oh who was he kidding, the _gift_ was forcefully shoved into him. Did he have a choice? No. "So how do I counteract the effects of the curses? It's impossible that you don't know how." He pointedly stared at the Dragon.

"Of course this ancient one knows how to. The urges and impulses to act on the seven sins will only grow stronger in time. You only have to control yourself. The curse of fear on you can be counteracted by controlling your mana flow and turning your natural aura into neutral, if that is what you want. But wouldn't it be rather useful?"

Convenient for battle and intimidation? Yes. Convenient for everyday life? No. He didn't want to deal with having to act on his natural urges to enact one of the seven original sins. And more so, he didn't want to deal with this kind of curse. How was he supposed to integrate himself into society this way? And her explanation was too broad. What did the Dragon even mean by mana?

"Don't you mean prana? I'm supposed to control the flow of prana in my circuits?" The magus worded his question.

"This ancient one knows what she said Hero. This one has listened your explanation of what mana and prana is. What this one is referring to is mana. The magical energy produced by the world itself. You are unconsciously denying your transformation that is why you don't notice it. You are emitting mana by merely existing."

He should have known that fact. Saber supposedly had dragon's blood in her. And it was not from a simple dragon either. The dragon blood that was in her had been from that of more than a thousand year old phantasmal species. She was a nuclear reactor for magical energy. Could mana be used in the same way as prana? Shirou's magi persona emerged trying to think of ways to analyze and harness the magical energy for his own use.*^

"How about the seven sins? It can't be simply controlled by simple strength of mind, can it?" He didn't think so. His life was never easy.

"It is better that you indulge in those urges. If you bottle them up, it will be only worse if it explodes in you. You cannot bottle them up forever. It would simply be easier if you indulge in those sins by directing them. For example, Greed can be directed towards only one goal. You can direct it to the acquisition of all the worlds' treasures, or all the worlds' knowledge. The more specific it is, the safer you would be. You will learn to control those urges in time, or you can wait for them to subside to controllable levels."

"How long would I have to wait if I were to wait for it to subside?" Shirou didn't want to ask the question, it was a curse laid down on a monstrous being. And depending on the Dragon's answer, he might just have a chance.

"Hmm, a few hundred years? This ancient one cannot remember. Or maybe it was after an eon?"

His hopes crashed and burned. The Dragon was able to rid itself of the curse in a range of a few hundred years to an eon? Just how old was this Dragon to be able to forget something like that. Time was trifling to the Dragon, there was no difference between a hundred years to a hundred thousand years to it. Shirou would just have to settle with trying to tame his urges by directing it.

Greed, he could easily settle it by wanting more weapons for his Unlimited Blade Works. He could work on Pride by indulging in boasting maybe? He'd find a way for it somehow. Gluttony, Envy and Sloth were a bit problematic. He wouldn't have to worry about Lust until he reached his youth.

The most worrying would be Wrath. He didn't what could make him snap. In the past, seeing Gilgamesh' face could make him angry. Maybe even those pompous nobles from the Clock Tower could make him angry. His thoughts drifted to home.

He missed his family dearly. How was his youngest daughter? Was his little Miyuki doing alright? He didn't even know how much time had flowed in their world. Rin had told him of her theory that time might flow differently in this world. How old was his little girl now? Maybe she was a beautiful young woman now? Maybe some lecherous unworthy men were already aiming for his precocious little girl? His fatherly instincts were being ignited. Shirou remembered his the small ball of energy that would come running down the corridors to welcome him every time he came back home. Then an image of a crying Miyuki appeared in his mind. What if some bastard had hurt his little girl? Condensed prana emerging the very air around Shirou. Distortions could be seen rippling in the air as he slowly flooded the atmosphere with his energy.

"Hero?" The Dragon was looking at him. "This Emperor would not care if you indulged in your sins, it would benefit you. But **I** warn you Hero, you shall do well not to do it in front of me."

"Gaericus-san, how does time flow between worlds with differing _Systems_?"

"A rather sudden question... Listen well then Hero, this will not be repeated to you again. The flow of time between worlds are erratic and inconsistent. A minute may have passed here while a hundred years had passed there. Or maybe a few months has passed here while time would flow almost to a crawl there.

This world is under the influence of the **Origin** of **Law**. Only a single solid timeline exists in this world. The future, the present and the past are all interconnected by a line. You have mentioned to me the existence of a multiple realities in you world, there is also Akasha to consider. The world you have come from is a rare one. It exists under the influences of two **Origins**. The presence of multiple realities or possibilities indicate the influence of **Potential**. While the presence of what you call the Root of the Swirl would mean it is affected by **Genesis**.

The **Origins** are, as this ancient one has explained to you, the first concepts. They are the source of all other concepts. A world influenced solely by **Genesis** flows in a cycle. It stays in an eternal circle of creation and destruction. While a world solely influenced by **Potential** would have the timelines branching out into infinite other possibilities. A world affected by **Law** is stabilized by the existence of multiple realms or planes. It is almost similar to multiple realities but it is different in a way that realms exist alongside each other. Think of it as this way, a world of multiple realities are like numerous vertical lines, while a world of multiple realms are similar to numerous horizontal lines.

The flow of time is strange, even this ancient one has not fully been able to comprehend it. Only the **Origins** fully know of how it works. Even the flow of time between two realms of the same world can differ. But in this kind of case, it depends on how strong its influence is." Shirou listened attentively. Knowledge was power. He didn't know if he could use this, but he could always record it in his journal. It would make a very appealing sacrifice to Rin or to Aoko maybe. They were more of a magus than him. They could gather something from this that he couldn't. He was more of a spellcaster than a true magus. The lesson was interrupted when a shadow slowly approached from the doorway leading to the rooftop.

"My liege? What are you doing here? Why have you not gone to sleep yet?" His black haired knight had been able to approach him without making a sound. Quite impressive, but she was an assassin after all. Maybe he could listen to all this tomorrow. He really did need sleep. A lot had been happening lately and his mind required lots of rest to process the information from the events. Shirou rubbed his bloodshot eyes.

"How about you? What are you doing here?" He didn't want to sound like an ass, but he was.

"Ah. That is, I felt a strong surge of magical energy. I woke up thinking you were in a battle and... you... you might need my assistance?" There was hesitation in the last words.

"I'm sorry about that. Then, I think I'll be going to sleep now." Shirou looked back at the Dragon. Gaericus had returned to what _she_ had been doing before his interruption, star gazing? "Goodnight, Gaericus-san."

His knight looked at him quizzically. Well, he needed sleep. Lots of it.

* * *

-0-

The form of a gray wolf was slowly transforming. Inside the Unlimited Blade Works, two shards of a broken blade were merging. They were merely combining, it was not being reforged but being clumped together. The silhouette of a black armored figure appeared. It was a tall man in a suit of very strange armor. A helmet shaped like a jackal's head, covered the figure. Red slits peered through from inside where the eyes were. The armor had interlaced plates with not a gap that could be seen. A tattered dirty black cape was being flowing appearing to be blown by non-existent winds. The armor was known as the Berserker's Armor, a cursed work made by dwarves. The current form of the armor had been shaped by the Beast of Darkness.

The figure that reformed was not a human. It was the representation of the two gathered shards, a part of the sword. It was only the fragment of the sacrifice embedded into the sword. The shards each contained a curse. In each was the emotions, dreams and aspirations of the original wielder of the blade. The shards also contained the former wielder's memories.

The original blade's existence was an anomaly, like the existence of Heroes. The blade's existence was a paradox. It was a blade rejected by the world so it defied it in return. It could cut that which could not be cut. The blade was unequalled in that regard. The blade had tasted the blood and caused the death of many great beings; demons, monsters, Apostles, Gods, Titans and dragons. It had slain them all. It was a weapon that was cursed to slay all that was evil. It would not rest until then.

The slab of iron which could not even be called a sword was the weapon of the Black Swordsman, it was the partner of man whose name was lost to the world. The greatsword was a weapon which carried the weight of all the curses that existed in the heart of the abyss. Until a day had come that it could no longer bear the burden of all the curses that had been imposes on it. It broke into thirteen pieces. Each piece of shard contained a curse that could be used to slay evil. For whoever said that curses could not be beneficial?

Both of the shards that was within the chaotic landscape had tested their new bearer. They did not contain emotions and thought, but they each had sentience. The second shard had begrudgingly accepted its new master as worthy. It would not find a better one. Because who could understand a sword better than another sword? The curse of madness within the second shard subsided.

The original blade had been owned by a man who fought against fate. Struggler, he was called. He refused to accept that everything was pre-determined, that the fate of human's were pre-ordained. He did not like that, he loathed fate. He hated fate with extreme burning impunity. He would not acknowledge the existence of fate. That struggle had broken him out of chains of humanity. He was no longer held by fate. He was no longer human. He had been an Antihero. They were Heroes whose methods were known to be cruel and atrocious. But the results they achieved were undeniable.

The specter of a man sat there in that broken landscape watching, as the skies and the land combined, collapsed, broke and changed. In that place which was the representation of a soul, the figure waited. It craved the day that it would be summoned again to spill blood, wreak havoc and destroy evil. But until then it would remain there silently, patiently. The combined shard would wait, ever vigilant.

-0-

The loud clanging of the metal gate could be heard even from a mile as a white haired young lady tapped her foot with arms crossed while waiting for anyone to arrive. Illya had arrived in Sardinia five days ago and had coordinated the search for her 'Onii-chan'. Posters had been printed, private detectives were hired and money had been spent. Large amounts of it. The results of her search had led her to this house.

A written report had come from a rather talented detective of clues of Shirou's possible whereabouts. But the last time he had been seen was in this village and he was said to have stayed in this house. The photos of the woman who had been carrying Shirou was helpful. It seemed the woman was rather well known among the local populace of the area. Illya had even confirmed it with the existence of a bounded field as he entered the perimeter of the house. It was a simple bounded field that only worked to detect and keep prana inside the area. But it was there. The peculiar sign it was made by Shirou was that it also worked by forcing a confrontation between the user and the intruder.

Only Shirou was reckless enough to use such methods. Besides, she had never seen any nor felt any other bounded fields since coming to this world. Thoughts of a 'little Onii-chan' made Illya giggle, that one could mistake it for a perverse laugh from a sexual degenerate.

"Ufufufufufufufu..." Illya was too deep in her own world that she didn't notice the arrival of a blond kid that was looking at her strangely.

" _What do you want?_ " The former homunculi was rudely interrupted from her musing by the voice.

"Huh?" Illya looked down on a small boy of about seven years old picking his nose. "Sebastian, what did he say?" A butler appeared by her side with an umbrella open in one arm to shade the young woman.

"He has asked you what you wanted, Illya-sama."

Illya stared down at the boy imperiously. "Now listen here kid. I want you to open this gate and let me inside right now. I have business with the owner of this house, that witch responsible for taking my Onii-chan. And it is of utmost importance that I meet her."

The butler translated what she said word for word. The boy just stared at her still picking his nose. Alfonse, or rather Sebastian counted down from thirty. Half a minute later, an angry shriek came from the young mistress.

"Muuuuuukkiiiiiiiiii! You arrogant little-! Now open this damned gate you brat! I am talking to you! Yes you! Don't look around cause there's no else around. I'm talking to you idiot. Open this and I'll show you how to behave properly when talking to someone!" The young lady reached inside the gate and tried to grab the kid from the outside, and he was just inches from being reached. It was rather hilarious sight, like a monkey reaching for a banana that was being denied to it. "And stop picking your nose it's disgusting!"

A dark skinned beauty appeared from the courtyard making Illya stop reaching for the blond.

"Guests? I have not been expecting such... The owner of the house is currently on a vacation, do you have any business with her?" Raffaello eyed the young woman.

Illya dropped her childish facade and composed herself, her mature persona took over. "Is this the house of Lucretia Zola?"

"It is. It would be rather rude of me to not invite you inside. Please come in. I am Raffaello, the current caretaker of the house." The woman replied back in accented English.

Raffaello looked at the limo that they had used to reach this area. It was a new one, with its shiny new paint and the engine quietly humming. Nobles? Maybe people from the mage associations? Probably. But they didn't have any insignia or symbol indicating which they belonged to. Possibly not investigators. She had been driving those people way for days now.

"We would not want to impose on your hospitality. I would only want to have a word with you here if possible. I am Illyasviel Emiya by the way." Illya stopped from entering the house just as they passed a fountain. If a situation where combat would arise, though unlikely, it would be disadvantageous for her to be in a trapped enclosed space. Not that she was expecting the woman to attack her but the woman was looking at her sizing her up. She was a magus first and foremost, and magus did not trust easily. "I am merely here to ask about my little brother."

"Brother?" That put Raffaello on edge. Were they referring to Shirou by any chance? The woman even had Shirou's last name. But wasn't this rather convenient for a long lost relative to search for a family member, when the said lost family member was also a child with very great potential for magic and combat? It was not like her to be suspicious. But this just smelled fishy to her. Wasn't Shirou an orphan? Why would they be searching for him now, even if what the young woman was saying was real?

"Yes my adopted little brother. Red hair, brown amber eyes. A rather sharp child but very kind and helpful. Always polite." Illya looked at the woman for any telltale signs of recognition. But the Great Knight stayed composed showing nothing.

She could just maybe, hypnotize the woman and be done with it. But Illya didn't know what the repercussions would be if she knew what she was trying to do. Besides the fact that she did not want to subject the woman to hypnotism because it might cause trouble later, Illya was starting to get impatient. She thought of something that could truly describe Shirou and might get a reaction from the woman in front of her. "He is also very good with blades."

Raffaello tried to hide her surprise from the last statement. But it was too late, Illya had seen it. Caution and suspicion had won out. Raffaello readied herself to summon her blades if necessary, she did not want to be unarmed if the person in front of her was a threat. Illya noticed the gathering of prana and perceived it as a threat instead. The two stared at each other before leaping back distances away simultaneously. Raffaello summoned her weapons while in midair, a broadswords appeared in her right hand while a saber appeared in the other.

Illya had already plucked some hair and had made preparations to create her utility familiars when she felt the gathering of prana from the woman. She had reacted immediately reinforcing her legs, after the woman's reaction. Bright red patterns appeared all over her body as she opened her circuits at full power. Four bird like familiars appeared in the air flying around her. Zelles, high performance familiars that was similar to the wire constructs her mother had used in the past. They could both be used to defend and attack enemy magi autonomously while she prepared for other spells. Illya's eyes narrowed dangerously. "You know him don't you? Where is Shirou?"

"What do you want with the boy?" Raffaello spat back, she had said the boy would be a magnet for trouble and a prime target for influence and recruitment from many powerful organizations. But wasn't this too soon? She was not even sure what the boy truly was. Raffaello was sure no information had been leaked from the incident that occurred in the city of Dorgali.

" _Eh? Shirou? You know Shirou?_ " The blond kid popped out from behind Raffaello. Oh she forgot about the little idiot.

"Illya-sama, I think the boy knows about the person we are searching for." The butler strode confidently between the two combatants with arms outstretched. "I think it would be best if we stop this right now. Nothing would be gained from battling over this. What would you say we speak over this over a delicious cup of tea while under a shade, Illya-sama? It is getting rather hot don't you think so?"

Invisible shimmering threads appeared on the butlers hands, black gloves had changed from the white ones he was previously wearing. Doni noticed the forming tension and readied his wooden sword. **^

How exactly had this situation turn like this? It had just started from a simple conversation to a blown out of armed combat. A gentle warm breeze blew in from the sea. The scene would very much not be out of place in one of those old cowboy showdown movies. Except they were armed with swords and magic. The two combatants considered the old man's words. The magus reached a decision first.

Illya opened her mouth to speak.

* * *

-0-

"Buuuuuurrrpp" The baby in Shirou's arms giggled at his antics. They had made time to visit the baby before leaving for London. Erica, the bundled little baby, seemed to be doing fine. Her mother had woke up from her coma and was slowly making a recovery. Paolo had allowed him to visit the little child almost every day since last week. It reminded Shirou of when he had been taking care of his own children. Then he smelled it. Poop. Oh the horrors of a new parent. For Shirou, it had been a nightmare trying to find a way how to put a diaper over a crying and struggling baby. Thankfully, his perseverance had won out during those times. He calmly held the baby towards Haidee as he went to look for some wet tissue, baby powder and new diapers.

The knight held the baby awkwardly away from her. Shirou had the urge to lecture Haidee in how to hold a baby properly, but he held back.

"So Haidee-san is scared of poo poo?" The magus teased his knight lightly. Shirou carried the baby again after cleaning her.

"I- I have no experience in raising children my liege. I apologize for my inadequacy." The magus found her blushing and stuttering expression cute and hilarious. It was rare for her to break out of character. "How are you so good at it my liege?"

"Well, I had taken care of children in the past." Shirou said as he scratched his cheek. He had taken care of his own children in the past. Shirou wiped the drool coming from the baby's mouth. He liked to help where he could. It was not like the hospital didn't have anyone to take care of the baby while the mother was still too weak and recuperating. But he just like doing these kind of simple tasks. A reminder of simpler and more peaceful times. Shirou popped the bubble of snot blowing from the child and wiped her face again.

Haidee didn't find the answer as odd. Maybe they had lacked hands from the orphanage and Shirou had grown used to doing things like this. But she still found his past mysterious. What was he, really?

"Shirou-kun, how have you been with Erica-chan?" Lucretia walked inside the room with Paolo Blandelli just behind her.

"I hope she hasn't been a handful? She's quite like her father..." Paolo took the baby from Shirou and diverted his thoughts to other matters. "It would be a shame if you were not to train and polish those skill of yours boyo? What would you say about joining the Copper-Black Cross when you grow up?" Shirou shook his head.

"I don't want think of anything like that yet Blandelli-san. Uhm, my mother is already teaching me so... I thank you for the offer, but I must decline." He politely declined the obvious recruitment. Lucretia beamed at him.

"Well, if I can't teach you, what do you say about teaching little Erica when she grows up then. Wouldn't you say that would be quite the entertaining notion? Oh, and I would be hiring you of course." His persistence was rather admirable. Shirou gave it some thought.

"I'll think about it Blandelli-san. But I think this would be farewell for now. And you too Erica-chan." The baby seemed to tear up at those words and looked like she was about to cry.

Oh right, everyone understood what he was saying. Soul Speak, a term he coined for his ability to be able to converse with any being. Even the baby was able to understand him on a fundamental level. "Ah, but I'll see you again when you grow up. Okay?" Shirou reached up to pat the baby.

"Farewell then Paolo, see you in a few weeks." Lucretia bid her former comrade goodbye.

"Likewise Lucretia, take care on your journey." The two exchange a smile. Until Lucretia ruined the mood.

"Oh, and I think you still owe me for helping you with the alliance." A wry smile appeared on Paolo's lips. He wouldn't make it past the witch to mention something like that just for her to enjoy leaving behind an annoyed but grateful man.

"You just had to mention that..."

"Of course, what do you take me for?" The witch smiled warmly at his reply.

* * *

-0-

In a dark room, three people were sitting around a table. All four were very powerful men, prodigies and geniuses of their own fields. The remaining original member of the Circle of the Black Knights.

"Lady Vashti has informed me of her wish to cede from the Circle." The man brought out a letter from inside his coat and put it on the table. He was Sir Timothe Fleur, the Great Knight and leader of the Order of the Ninth Crusade. A group of mages and knights covered in obscurity. Their mission being to find and train people who had the potential to become Campione. The Order which could trace its founding way back to the mid-12th century, was an old and powerful one. It had been founded in a time when the war for the Holy Land was at its peak under papal authority. And they had been able to produce two Campione since the day of their founding. The first Campione was killed in a battle with another Campione and other had been killed fifteen years after his rebirth. But they had been able to gather influence and consolidate power during those short times that they had gained a King. One of the reasons they still existed until today.

"She has betrayed us? That's unlike her." The man who was usually absent for their meetings worded his doubt. The man known as Professor, was actually a man who was in his early forties by the name of Giovanni Piero. He was the curator of Piazza del Campidoglio, a part of the Capitalone Museums in Rome. He was also the research coordinator and head for a certain project that they had restarted fourteen years ago. It was a research and experiment that they had deemed would bring great changes to the world. The reason for his constant absence during meetings. Sir Fleur shook his head.

"No, it is something more than that…It seems she hadn't been able to say anything. She also said to me that she would be resigning from her seat as Head Matriarch of the Huntresses of Artemis. She had even voiced her wish to disband the group. With no surviving elder members, that group is as good as dead. Also… she has given us a warning before her... er, last words. It's in the letter."

That captured the other three's attention. Sir Castor who was by the leader's right took the letter and handed it to him. The seal was torn off and two folded papers came out. One was the official letter of stating the leader of the Huntress' wish to part ways with the Circle smeared with blood and the other was more of a note.

" _To my former allies,_

 _I write this letter in my wish that you be warned. I have taken a powerful binding oath to a mighty being, a Ruler, a King, a monster. It seems that we had made a mistake the day we decided to take the darker path, the easier path. I regret everything which I have done. This is starting to sound like a confession before a suicide isn't it? But it is not. It was a part of my oath to repent for what I had done. I do not know when the oath will be fulfilled, but I will do what I can._

 _I cannot give you anything specific information, all I can give you is a warning. We had been too greedy, in our bid to become stronger. We have stepped on a dragon's tail thinking it was but a serpent. If you continue to go down your path, I see only destruction for you. The child…"_

The letter stopped with a very blurry writing on the last part.

" A Ruler? A King? A Campione…" The leader muttered to himself. He handed the letter to Sir Castor who scanned over it twice before giving it to the Professor.

"What do you think of this Sir Castor? Professor Piero?"

"A binding oath? One of the Campione's Authorities maybe…"

"The existence of a Fourth Campione. This is unexpected. But we are not sure if this is true. There has been no reports of a Campione born for a hundred years already. She mentioned something on the end, I think the word there was child? Have you observed anything when she gave you this letter?"

"It really seemed something was restraining her from saying anything. I do not think she has been lying, my swordhas not been able to sense ill intent or lies either." Sir Fleur answered.

"This is troubling news. My lord, what do you think we should do?" The Professor looked towards their leader.

"We would have to verify if what really prevented her from speaking was a Campione's Authority, if it is then this might as well provide an opportunity to test the _weapon_."

"My lord, I don't think it would be the best choice of action if we were to charge in blindly. We do not any information on this so called new Campione." Sir Castor interjected the order.

"Do you have so little faith in our _weapon_ Sir Castor?"

"I agree with Sir Castor my lord, I think it is too early. We are still in the early stages of our research and are in middle of testing _its_ power. _It_ had been starting act up lately. But I think we it would do us better if we were to perfect _it_." The Professor looked towards Sir Fleur pleading their cause.

"I also-"

"Enough!" The leader's angered voice shook the room. He breathed in before continuing. "I say we test the _weapon_ on this new Campione. Even if the _weapon_ was to be destroyed, I say that we are enough to handle the weakened Godslayer after its battle. We will show the world that this Godslayers are not untouchable. That we mortal men are powerful on our own."

"My lord." Sir Castor waited until the leader raised his hand to allow him to speak. "But wouldn't it be better if we were to test the weapon first on a known Campione?"

"Who would you suggest?" Sir Castor contemplated their choices. The first and the easiest target would be Madame Aisha. The weakest of the Campiones. But her whereabouts were unknown. She was a hermit and a known traveler. There was nothing they had that could be used to bait her. And the only ones who had contact with her were her loyal followers. The impact would also be lessened if they chose to kill the weaker of the Campiones. Madame Aisha was out.

The next most viable target would be The Ruler of the Martial Realm, Luo Hao. She was the worshipped Eminence of the Holy Cult of the Five Mountains. It would be easy to bait her, she would never refuse a challenge. She had too much pride to do so. But how they could reach her to deliver a challenge was the hard part. She was also known as Campione who liked seclusion. She was only known to show herself to banish Heretical Gods from her territory. The location she was in would be a very tightly guarded area. And no letters could reach. Even magical means to contact her would be nigh impossible.

So the only target left would be Duke Voban, the King of the Balkans. He was the oldest and arguably the most powerful of the Campiones. A battle maniac and power hungry beast. He would be easy to provoke. His dwelling was a known and avoided location. He was like the other two Campiones, a recluse. Simply intruding on his territory would be enough to set him off. He would perceive it as an insult. He ruled over no groups, so they didn't need to worry about intrusion during the battle. The greater the risk the greater the rewards.

"I would suggest Duke Sasha Dejanstahl Voban, Balkan's King. If we were to gain renown with this feat, he would be the best target. He is also the least liked of all the three Campiones. But my lord, wouldn't it be-"

"Are all of you trying my patience right now?" The three remained silent. "Good, because I would not want any of you to follow after our former members." A grim atmosphere was covering the already dark room. "Professor Piero, prepare our _weapon_ for deployment. I would want all of this done within the month. The summit of mage associations will be in two months. I would prefer if we had already achieved results to show by then."

"Of course lord." The professor bowed respectfully.

"The time of Campiones are no more. Wasn't that the holy prophecy? And we shall be the herald of it." A deranged smile grace the leader's lips. "I will be the held as the King of this new age. The Age of Heroes, God has decreed it so. An angel has come to me last night and told me, I will be God's right hand. You will be there with me of course, as our true God's rule would be imposed upon all the lands." The other three could not stop themselves from feeling trepidation and fear. Their leader has been graced with a vision by God?

"Then we shall be your blades, lord." Sir Castor licked his dry lips and swallowed. He hid his mouth behind a fist, and he smiled. What a fool. He though that he was the chosen one? He was nothing more than a tool. But it seemed he was convinced. The _Goddess_ would be pleased with his progress...

* * *

-0-

The clash of steel against steel could be heard around the wide sparring area. A green humanoid woman was standing in the center of a circle while a little boy of about six years old was trying to find a way to get inside her guard without receiving a beating from the blunt end of the sword. He had already been on the receiving end of that sword for the past hour now. The boy had short black spiky hair and dark eyes.

"You are showing too much of your intent by focusing only on one area. And what have I told you about how to hold a sword. Hold it in your grip more firmly. In the battlefield, your enemy won't give you any chance if you lose your sword. Keep your feet always steadily planted on the ground if you want to gather more momentum for a leap."

The boy could have been mistaken for a human if not for his sharp and pointed ears.

"Now come! You will not have your rest until you have struck a serious blow!" The swordswoman the boy was facing was a strange humanoid dragon. A moment later the two figures returned as blurs. The boy was trying but failing and the woman holding firm yet flowing with grace. Any normal observer would not be able to follow their movements with their eyes. The boy started relying on feints and surprise attacks, what he could not defeat in strength, he should beat by strategy. That was a lesson he had learned from one of his teachers.

The boy's eyes flashed a bright burning red as his emotions were starting to get the better of him. Touki covered his hands. It was not enough. He needed more. A large amount of energy gathered from his hands towards the tip of the sword. His teacher took a defensive stance. She was going to block. The boy funneled the gathered energy into the tip of his blade and ran to the woman.

" _Longsword of Light."_

In a flash of movement, he slashed. A wave of light came out of his blade. But before it could reach her, the woman released her own aura. Flames devoured the boy's attack. But that was not where it ended. As the smoke cleared, the boy was nowhere to be seen.

" _Demon Decapitation._ "

She felt a gust of wind coming down from above. The woman's trained instincts enabled her to raise her blades in time to block a blow from above. Quite a clever move, but it would not be enough. The boy's body dissipitated into black mist when she struck him.

The boy smiled with a feral grin from behind her. The various black geometric markings on his body darkened further. Touki covered his entire body strengthening him further.

"Twofold Light Slash!"

If his teacher was any less skilled, she would have been killed. But she was not known as the strongest swordsman of the realm for nothing. Her speed increased ten times faster than it already was, with that she was able to block the two simultaneous strikes. But that had not been the boy's intentions. The upper part of the blade shattered showering the woman with the fragments. With the shortened broken sword, the boy tried to move closer. But he was stopped when his teacher increased the amount of touki she was releasing. The boy was blown backwards by the explosion of energy. The ground cracked where the woman stood.

"Good work. That would be enough for now Rickert." The boy struggled to his feet and took the broken swords hilt. He bowed towards his teacher in respect. He ignored the numbness and pain he was feeling. He was still too weak. He just wanted to become stronger, far stronger. If he was only stronger, maybe his mother wouldn't be sad anymore. The boy had often heard his mother tell him of how strong his father was. He saw the complicated expressions on her face whenever he asked her to tell her more about his father. There was sadness in there. Maybe... just maybe if he could become as strong as his father...

"Thank you for the lesson Ganberia-sensei."

Various craters littered the sparring area. There were trenches cut into the ground and upturned slabs of stone from the floor. The dust settled once more as their movements stopped. Under the sweltering heat of the sun, teacher and student stood before each other. The woman returned her sword to its sheath on her back.

She examined the boy before her. She could say he was a prodigy that could even one day surpass her. He was tenacious and strong willed. Though she knew the boy was a very kind soul, she worried. The boy was the son of that monster of man after all. She nodded at the boy and strode towards a shaded area of the sparring field knowing the boy was following.

On the sidelines under the shade of a tree, two more female figures had been watching. One of them was a scantily clad succubus who had two ivory horns adorning the side of her head. Her wings were sprawled behind her as she lay on the branch of the tree on her bosom. Her tail which had a strange tip was holding up a drink to her mouth. Her hands were supporting her head as she stared at the approaching duo.

"Moouuh~ ,the boy seems to be growing up too fast. It was just like it was yesterday that he was tiny itty bitty boy who used to cry when he injured his knee. Don't you think so Erubetie?" Her companion remained silent as she waited for the two to approach.

"You've done well Rickert-sama." A blue slime woman approached the boy with a towel. The slime took the form of a nude voluptuous woman with a round gem on her forehead. Only the left side of her face was exposed because of what seemed to be hair covering the right part of it. Red marking covered the left side of her body. "Please allow me to heal you up."

"Erubetie-nee-san...Urkk!" The boy bit his lips not wanting to show any pain but his teary eyes showed it all. He sat on a chair as slime covered his body healing him at a miraculous rate.

"Wah! So cold..." The succubus flew down from her perch, taking no offense at being ignored. She looked towards Granberia and went to her instead. "So how is he?"

"He is improving. It would be an understatement to say that he is a prodigious fighter. He adapts well to any situation regardless of his disadvantages. And... he is starting to exhibit his bestial traits, though I would praise his dedication to the Way of the Knight the most."

"Hmm~ hmm~, so is he going to become as strong as his father once was?" The succubus shivered in delight at that thought. Only one man had ever made her felt so excited, so aroused and so weak. That monstrous man who had been able to single handedly storm the gates of heaven and annihilate half their forces in a single battle. The unsung Hero of the Second Great Monster War.

The female dragon didn't answer the question though. She knew of no one who was able to match that man, not even her. That man stood along with the likes of the first Monster Lord, the last Demon Lord and the Goddess. Even then, Granberia knew that he was a league far above that. She had been one of that man's friends before his demise. And her pride would not allow her surrender even with a thousand defeats, so she had been that swordsman's sparring partner since he sided with them during the war. In her eyes, he was a peerless Wargod. The only reason he died was because he offered his blood and heart as payment to seal the Goddess.

Another presence made herself known, a beautiful female approached the group. Beside her was a blond child who had nine tails swishing behind her as she walk with feline grace. She was wearing a customized kimono top with an obi wrapping under her flat chest and a purple skirt.

"Kaa-chan!" The boy run towards the female, a long red serpentine tail trailing behind her.

"So how was today's lesson, my little Rick-chan? Granberia?" The woman picked up the sweaty child into her deceptively thin arms. Her long white hair flowed down as she stooped to pick up the boy. She had purple silky skin that one would not see on a human. A different set of black markings covered the right side of the lady's body. She was an Echidna, a higher species of lamia.

"Monster Lord." The humanoid dragon kneeled before the lady. "He has started to gain a little control over his powers, but his instincts as a monster are intervening with his rational mind during battle. It would be best if he were to learn to have some semblance of restraint when using magic, though it is alright for him to use touki. I advise that he be taught deep meditation first before we continue with his sword training."

The woman caressed the boy's freshly healed bruises. "How goes the news of the coastal regions hit by the tsunamis, Alma Elma?"

The succubus followed suit and also kneeled before giving her report.

"Monster Lord, the incident seemed to have hit more than one location. There have been multiple reports of the same incident having happened all at the same time happening in the areas of the northern continent. We have yet to verify the cause though the Guardian of the North Sea denies it was caused by any monster in her territory. I think it this is also related to the eruption of Mt. Gorudo, in the Gorudo region of Sentora."

Strange events had been happening in the Demon Realm lately. Multiple natural disasters were happening without any warning all over the Realm. Promestein, the new leader of the angels denied the accusations that it was caused by them. That seemed to be the case because even the Realm of Heaven had suffered casualties from a strange phenomenon of rips appearing in reality. This might be related to the strange voice they had heard last night. It was assertion of change. The voice that echoed through all the world told of the coming of a new age. The Monster Lord knew that the voice held power. More than just power, it was far more than that. Whatever it was, it held incomparable and incomprehensible power.

The Age of the Gods is coming to an end? That was amusing. The Monster Lord knew of the existence of the Divinities. Beings created from the power given unto humanity. It was the power granted to them by whatever higher beings were out there, the ability to dictate what was and was not. It was the power to create beings from collective belief and concepts materializing into the world. Maybe it was talking about the True Gods? She held back a snort at that. They did not need Gods. The Gods she knew of had only brought pain and suffering to her and her people. She did not care as long as her son was kept safe.

The small blond kitsune cleared her throat, holding her fan gingerly in one hand. The Monster Lord took notice of this. "Erubetie, please take Rickert to the baths."

The slime woman silently nodded in affirmation.

"Kaa-san will be following after

"Kaa-san will be following after she has finished her grow-up talk with Tamano, okay?" The Monster Lord kissed the crown of the boys head before handing him to her subordinate. "Granberia, Alma Elma, you may take your leave."

"Hai~ I'll be going ahead then Monster Lord-sama~." The winged succubus flew off towards the palace.

"Lord, I shall take my leave. You can send for me at the Warden's barracks if you have need of me." The dragon knight bowed in respect one more time before turning to leave, her purple coat flowing behind her.

"Alipheese Fateburn the Sixteenth." The remaining person on the isolated grounds spoke. "Will you or will you not accept the invitation?"

"You know that I cannot Tamano." The Monster Lord looks at the small girl.

"Cannot and do not want to are two different things Alice." The kitsune voiced her annoyance. The worst thing about the invitation was that it was on a very important day for the Monster Lord. It was her lover's death anniversary. "But you cannot hold off the suitors for much longer Alice. We'll have to choose a side sooner or later. Tensions are already rising between the humans, monsters, demons, and angels. If you plan to stabilize our condition, we'll have to establish an alliance." The kitsune felt bad for trying to force a decision out of her. She was already burdened to begin with.

"I know that Tamano, but please... Just give me some time to think about things."

Tamano's expression softened. But she knew she had to be firm with this.

"War is coming Alice."

The Monster Lord didn't reply to that as they enjoyed the quiet and peace for a while.

* * *

-0-

 _The sound of a thunderous roar could be heard as warriors of different races ran through the devastated battlefield. Scenes of carnage and dying men could be seen everywhere. It was a war. For the birth of a new era, blood must be shed. For their ambition of freedom, life would be given, and taken._

" _For the freedom! For our people! For the King!" A great warcry could be heard across the battlefield. This was last battle. The battle that would result in the deaths countless great warriors and heroes, symbolizing the rise of the curtain to a new age._

 _The armies of the Old God's marched on to uncertain victory. They fought to maintain the Order. Men fought against his fellow men. To protect the peace they had, they raised arms. For there are always two sides to a coin. They fought to protect what they held dear. Was that evil? It was not. Their is no such thing as good and evil in war. Because all can bleed and die in a battlefield. They were all equal in the eyes of death. It was a battle of ideals. There was neither right nor wrong. There was only the enemy and their weapons held in their hands._

 _Arrows, projectiles, magic induced fireballs, hails of rock and ice, and winged creatures fell from the skies impacting with the ground. Maddened warriors unleashed their anger, their fury, for the all the suffering they had endured. But in the center of it all stood two men. One was a mortal who had achieved the impossible, through luck, skill and pure sheer will. The other was a man of no lesser stature, worshipped as the greatest warrior amongst the Old Gods, the Warlord of the Heavens._

 _But on this day, he met his match. Could it be called a match when his lance could not reach the mortal? Could they truly be called equals when he found it impossible to repel every strike from the human's glaive? The god found it confusing, astounding. The weight of every strike was as heavy as the weight of a world. No, it is the world that, that human carried upon his shoulders. He shouldered the burden for of a King. Where had he acquired such power?_

" _What are you!?" The enraged god shouted towards the mortal._

" _Do you not already know? I am a human. I am ******* the Slayer of Gods!" The mortal roared back. A large space was cleared around them as the warriors of both sides avoided them._

" _This is foolishness. What do you wish to achieve by killing us? We created you! You ungrateful beings!" The god swung his lance once more. But it would not be a moment later that he was pushed back again._

" _It is you who are the fools. Even now, on a battlefield, you cannot discern the truth and learn to let go of such notions. That even we mortals can achieve what you had!"_

" _Of course! Be-" The human swung his glaive again. His unmatched might pushing back the god. Glaive met the lance. Steel against steel. A mortal against a god._

 _Each of their attacks released shockwaves of force enough to shatter the surrounding landscapes. Their movements faster than the speed of sound. Blows were exchanged before they could even be heard. A massive dragon and a gigantic white tiger fought in the background. A fitting scene for such a scale of battle._

" _Are you going to take me seriously now?" The mortal asked to the god._

 _The god could not understand the mortal. He was both a man yet he was not. What was he? The god's armor spewed out mana as they loosened themselves from the god's body. The god felt anger for what he perceived as an insult to it. The god was the greatest weapon ever conceived. The god was a Sword. But it was no mere Sword, for it was not created by the Old God's like its comrades. The god was born from the very concept of Weapon and Battle. It was born directly from one of the main Origins, it was a Primordial, one of the Ancients. The god was known as Heaven's Blade, the unequaled, the unrivaled. Until today. For it had never known defeat nor victory. The god was Sword through and through. It only felt emotions during battle. The mortal stood before the god with his sword raised in a stance. He waited. A helmet was took off, then a gauntlet. One by one, the armor was taken off from the god's form. The mortal seemed stunned at the god's true nature. For who would not? Like a blade unsheathed, power poured out from the god. It would test it's might against the mortal. The battlefield seemed to stop as the god's true form was exposed to the world. Then a blade was swung, the battle ensued._

A red headed child tossed and turned in his sleep. He felt cold. It was not the temperature nor was he suffering from sickness. But it was because of a dream. He dreamed of war and titans. He dreamed of Dragon's and monstrous beasts. And in the dream he saw a man, a king. Why did the king seem so familiar? What he was seeing was something out of a long forgotten memory. Or was it? The dream was too vivid to be a dream. But this was not his own. How could it be? Everything about the dream confused him. The dream felt ominous. More of a reminder of what would happen should he fail in his path as a Hero. It was not the death and despair permeating the battlefield that made him confused. It was the mixture of emotions that came with his dreams lately. But more importantly, who was that god?... The dream ended before he could get his answer.

* * *

A.N.

A boring chapter, this one... Nearly got late with this release. A thanks to MarksmanKNG for the beta read.

Wow... I really didn't expect this, but thanks for all the support. I read some o' the reviews. Well, sorry about the centered pages though. ^_^

The new image is something I shamble of a photoshop. From top right, Gaericus supposedly(I'm not an artist, heck I'm not even a good writer, I just tweaked and edited the image of a certain anime character) good luck guessing who the original image was. Bottom left pic is Mysterious Heroine X, or Arturia. They're basically the same character, but have different back stories.

I remember reading a mention of a time-skip. Well, there ain't gonna be any major time-skips until I've properly set the stage. Sorry bout' that. But it's how the story is already planned.

I mean, half the fun in the a story is anticipating what's that about about or what's gonna happen next right? That's that. As most of you ave noticed, I based my writing on the impression that the reader gets it without me outright sayin it. I try... I really do. Oh well. Hope you enjoyed the read. I appreciate constructive criticism and reviews. But I don't think I can survive burns...

Also, I didn't know Nasuverse was so deep. As I've said before, I don't have firsthand knowledge of anything from Nasuverse. So sorry bout a few mistakes here and there. My source of information would be google and wiki. If one source says otherwise, hope someone points it out. Thanks in advance for corrections, but I may or may not correct some changes if it doesn't flow with the story.

Last note, I'm centering this fic on the M.C.'s so... some scenes may not make it or just appear as mentions. Sorry bout' this, but I'd preffer it this way.

:3

Here's for the extra notes.

* Paolo Blandelli gained the title of Crimson Devil when he had opposed the Fifth Campione, Black Prince Alec. This will be one of the times I'm abandoning canon. I'm mentioning this in case someone points it out.

** Savage bunnies!? Heresy I say! Lol. I'm reffering to various universes for this. Trolls, naga and elves? From warcraft. Bunny tribes from Gate: thus the JSDF fought here. And from many others.

*^ I knew I was right in saying that prana is generally what magical energy is. But I re-edited it in chapter 2. *Sigh* guess gonna have to go back and re-edit it again. I want to add this note here for those too lazy to go back and read about it. Prana can be subdivided into mana and od. So od is not prana. I had been referencing Gabriel Blessing's "Hill of Swords" on how the magic system worked so I didn't go and check google. -_- Sorry... I'll try not to make the same mistakes again.

**^ A thread weapon using butler. Sounds familiar? Hmm?~

^* I forgot to mention this would be a multi-x-over. Cheers for those who could recognize the characters on this part. To those who don't, Alipheese the 16th is from Monster Girl Quest. Found a picture of her? Yep, that's her. And so are most of the monster girls I'll be mentioning. Oh and Rickert? Just... wait and read the story. Rickert is an OC, so as not to confuse those who know who he is. I've got lots I want to say about this scene but nah, that would just bore you. Just read it as it is. Oh, btw, I just burned down S.S. GutsxCasca. Lol.

-Someone asked about what Haidee looked like. Eeehh, she looks like an Erza Knightwalker with blackhair or maybe Riesbyfe Stridberg with longer black hair and dark red eyes...

-Anyone noticed me mentioning realms and planes? Eh... I forgot to mention it but I did a re-edit on Shirou and Gaericus-chan's first conversation in chapter 2. I added a bit more info there. I'm still working on the re-edit for chapter 3 and 4. I'll avoid doing the re-edits as much as possible and instead add it on the new chapters, but well... *sigh* I'm not really much of a writter to begin with and I'm only basing this on how I've read my favorite written LNs, WNs and VNs. It's mostly a mishmash of styles. Just hope people are satisfied with it.

-And I'm saying this now, just in case. I'm maintaining Goudo's original harem from the anime _only_. This includes Athena. Wait, isn't this a spoiler? Lol.

On a side note, I think the later parts of the story are the more exciting parts. The story pace will begin picking up starting in Chapter 10 or so. I've got lotsa plans. And the I'll be posting a lot slower, I'd prefer waiting for my beta's edits and thoughts. I won't be promising anything but I think the quality is gonna be going up. This will be the last chapter that I'll release earlier with no less than two week gap. I'll try anyway. I've also downloaded Fate Stay Night(UBW anime), Fate Zero(anime and LN). Will try to read through the LN and marathon the anime if I got time for more accurate info. So, all in all, I think the next update might be in three weeks max? Dunno, but see ya people nxt chapter!~


	7. A Blade's Oath I(End of an Era)

Disclaimer: I don't own nothing but the plot for this story.

Beta: MarksmanKNG and HelpfulNudge

* * *

 **Chapter 7**

 **-0-**

"A fool's dream eh _?_ " The silhouette of a man sat atop a rock overlooking a river while staring up at the inky starry skies. He looked at his rough and calloused hands before letting out a bitter laugh.

"What does it mean to be strong _?_ " He posed the question to the trees, to the wind, and to the quiet night like he was expecting someone to answer his question. Guess they must have left already.

Right now, the man was looking at ghosts from the past. He could almost imagine another man seated alongside him drinking from a bottle of sake.

" _Y'know,_ _your dad was one scary man. So strong they said he… was the strongest under the heavens. Violent and strange. Too different from us humans."_ The image took a long chug of his drink before continuing. " _No one wanted to get close to him. Not even you. But now… Man! You're starting to get more and more like him."_

The vision dissipated like mist before being replaced by another. It was a younger man in his early twenties with unkempt hair.

" _I think that Master is born with the sword. He's like a living sword himself. I want to be strong like Master."_

The full moon illuminated his location, but the tall trees surrounding him prevented him from being fully exposed. A man who became a god… When he had lived as a human child a long time ago, they called him a 'demon's child'. Maybe he was. He had once slaughtered almost a hundred men in a single battle. That was back when he was a human.

Some would take immortality as a blessing. But not him. To him it was a loathsome curse. He had easily disperesed the haze of the curse of madness that came with a Heretic God's descent. He was able to break free from the bindings of his myth.

" _Take-chan!"_

The figure turned his head to look behind him. But no one was there.

What if both the man and the myth existed? What kind of Heretic God then would be born? This was the answer. The man would become the myth, he would become a god. But with a god's ascension also came the curse that took over all other gods that stayed in the Human Realm. They lost themselves to their nature, their myth.

A Heretical God of War would want to enact war and violence. A tragic Heretic God would want revenge on those that had wronged them. While a Heretic God related to combat would always want to find a worthy foe. But the curse was weakening.

" _Do you regret following your path?_ " The ghost of a monk formed from the mist.

"It is too late for regret."

" _What do you want to do then? You cannot crossover to the afterlife where she waits for you. You are trapped in this world, as a god._ "

"I don't know."

" _Then why don't you settle down. You now walk the middle path. You do not seek conflict and conflict avoids you. Find a place for yourself in this world. Who knows, maybe a miracle would be granted to you by the Heavens some day?"_

"What do I do? I don't know… Tell me."

" _Hahahaha…"_ The ghost let out a chuckle. " _Never would I have seen the day that you would come to me for advice. Maybe hell has already frozen over."_ The priest let out another cacophony of laughter. " _But what do 'you' want to do?_ "

"I am tired… I want to rest."

" _Then do that. Find a place to rest. Surely the Heavens would not deny you that_."

The figure stood up shakily while leaning on his sword.

"So, I should seek that foolish Dragon who wishes for an impossible dream?"

" _Maybe… who knows… pro… a sa…place…"_ The ghost disappeared like smoke carried away by the wind.

* * *

 **-0-**

Sweat was condensing into steam as a boy sat in a lotus meditation position His breathing was calm and measured. Strange black tribal markings moved on his body, resembling that of a scaled serpent, an eastern dragon. Inside his mind, the magus was fighting a duel against an unseen enemy. Beads of sweat rolled down his forehead. With every exchange, a burst of prana would be released from his physical body. The duel was being conducted with the use of identical weapons, a massive black greatsword. He lost.

Shirou slowly suppressed the prana he was releasing, though he still leaked mana. The very blood that circulated in his body produced mana. His eyes opened to reveal reptilian slitted pupils which flickered briefly before returning to normal. His life had gained a semblance of monotonous normalcy recently. The magus reoriented himself with his surroundings. He had just finished performing the basic exercises and kata for a certain sword-style he was practicing. Kyoturyuu, a swordstyle which relied on the user becoming the sword. It was rather fitting, but he was only training in it to improve his control over his primal urges. They were becoming a pain to deal with recently. His daily morning training regimen consisted of hard physical exercises and meditation.

He had learned a few tips and tricks from Gaericus regarding that. Controlled breathing and prana circulation could help achieve insane results in controlling his magical energy. The Dragon had told him that some sword masters were able to meditate for months, maybe even years without food and water to sustain them only availing themselves of what was called, qi. Qi, chi, ki, touki, all those words meant. Qi, or touki as the Dragon preferred to call it was the lifeblood of ancient warriors. It had an uncanny resemblance to how magus used prana. They were able to execute impossible feats with the use of touki. A master would even be able to coat his skin with touki to make it hard as iron. Almost similar to reinforcement.

Though Shirou had some doubts about it, he chose to believe it. Why would the Dragon lie about that?

He was currently in the backyard of a Japanese styled mansion. A few trees littered the yard he was in; behind him was a large traditional house. The building was renovated to look almost similar to his home back in Fuyuki. With a few extravagant decorations, this including a koi pond with a beautiful garden. On the veranda of the house was a female figure observing Shirou, deep blue hair draped over a scantily clad body.

Haidee stood up and approached her master with a towel, avoiding the greatsword that was embedded into the ground beside him.

"Are you done, my lord?"

Shirou had to squash the urge to groan. His knight was wearing a French maid uniform, with cat ears.

"Yes..." He grimaced a little before asking. "So how is my sister treating you?" He knew of his _unrelated_ sister's hobby, making cosplay costumes and making people wear them.

"Quite well, my liege. Do you not like my outfit?" The knight/maid looked at her clothes and put on a mock frown.

"No! No, it's not that. You look good in it. It just that... my sister can get a little overboard sometimes."

"I would not mind it. You worry too much Shirou-sama." The knight handed him the dry towel. Shirou wiped the accumulated fluids. They started making their way to the kitchen, until they heard a sharp piercing shriek. The duo rushed to the source of the commotion only to find the cause to be a certain snow haired woman.

"Ahhh... Aaahhh... No..." Shirou could not articulate his horror and was brought to his knees in absolute despair. _His_ kitchen looked like a total mess.

"Illya-sama?" Haidee found a panicking woman rushing back to the stove with a bucket of water.

The former homunculi had, by the Root knows how, somehow been able to find herself in this world. She had been a bit vague on the circumstances, but she had told Shirou what he needed to know.

"What happened here? It looks like a disaster." A groggy Lucretia took a seat by the table and waited for order to be restored. Which it was, fifteen minutes later.

"Illya."

"Yes Shirou?" She looked at him with doe like eyes and a guilty expression. Damn she was unfair. Even if she was older, that look still had an effect on him. Shirou sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Why were you alone in the kitchen? Where's Sebastian?"

"I sent him to the market.~ I wanted to prepare a farewell breakfast for Lucretia-san." Shirou looked at the girl suspiciously. Illya did not get along with the witch. Hell, their first meeting had not gone too well. She had accused Lucretia of kidnapping Shirou the first time they met, though he knew she might have been joking about that. The witch and the magus' first meeting had then degraded into a constant back-and-forth squabble. The thing that seemed to have irritated Illya was when the witch told her she was Shirou's guardian. So if she was Shirou's adopted mother, then Illya would be an adopted unrelated sister?

Shirou had spotted the white haired lady hiding a bottle earlier.

"So you were cooking something that required laxatives?" Shirou stared at Illya with a deadpan expression.

"Maaaaybee~" The white haired woman fidgeted in her chair avoiding eye contact. "It was a goodbye present?"

Shirou looked back to his cooking. This would just give him another headache. He went to get to the kitchen counter to start cleaning the mess.

Illya had told him of what had happened to Sakura. He did not know if what had caused her to act that way was because of what remained from Zouken's experiments on her or if it was a result of the contamination from Angra Mainyu. Shirou had asked Lucretia for help in this, she was the only one he could go to. Though Illya seemed to feel some guilt from what happened and had expended her own efforts to find out if Sakura did make it to this world. Even he was worried, Shirou could do nothing but hope Sakura was alright. He couldn't do anything, not yet anyway.

A few minutes of cleaning later, he was putting a bit of salt on a chopping board. Some herbs that were placed on to it were then systematically chopped into pieces. The miso soup was being stirred by the knight/maid. Shirou took the ladle and dipped it into the pot, putting some soup into a tasting bowl. Though rice was their staple for breakfast, he had tried cooking other types of meals for the other occupants of the house. Speaking of which, he could glimpse a mop of platinum blonde hair over his shoulders.

"Go take a seat Alice, this'll be ready in a minute."

"Okay."

"Sebastian, please take over here for me. I'm going to go call over Raffaello-san and Doni." The Great Knight and his apprentice had just recently arrived last night from London. After the very eventful mage association summit, the mages had determined that they would be sending a group of volunteers to investigate the source of the disturbances all over the world. Raffaello was one of the volunteers, while Lucretia was asked to be their guide. They were going to the Netherworld.

Shirou had never told anyone what might be causing these events. The Dragon had warned him not to, and he was not about to break what he promised to Gaericus. Though there might be something deeper going on here. He did not know anything yet.

What he did understand from what the Dragon had told him was that the layers of this world might be merging. The layers of the world, or the Realms that composed a world were coming together. What was happening might be caused by the instability in the Netherworld, which was caused by the writing another Law into this world's existing system. He really could not understand that Dragon.

Shirou was brought out of his musings as he approached the dojo. The dojo was located on the north side, while the area he had been practicing earlier was on the east side. He entered the room to see Doni doing practice swings.

"Nine hundred eighty three... nine hundred eighty four..."

Shirou watched in honest admiration at each swing. They were done with extreme precision, effort and concentration. It was if Doni was already truly cutting down a target in half. The magus felt a little guilt at his own abilities. He was able to emulate and study the history of numerous blades. Days, months, years and more than centuries of experience accumulated by the blade could easily be replicated with but a glance.

But he smiled nonetheless, Doni was attempting to master the sword to such a degree as to not require the sword itself. To make even a simple stick into a deadly cutting tool with pure skill alone. It was the very antithesis of what Shirou had. The magus could tell that maybe one day, Doni could surpass him in pure skill with a sword. Shirou, who was able to read the history of a weapon, would be unable to understand anything from Doni if he just equipped himself with a new blade that had no history. The blond kid was a genius; he would reach far.

Shirou gripped the imaginary handle of a sword. His curse of Pride would not allow him to take the easy way out. This was one of the reasons why he was trying to master a weapon. His former swordstyle was one that had neither pride nor true skill? It was one borne out of necessity, not for the sake of studying the Art of the Sword. His weapons had been merely a means to an end. It got the job done, that was all that he required of a blade. But his current circumstances were complicating things...

"Good morning Shirou." The magus looked up to the source of the voice. It was a sweaty Raffaello dressed in only short shorts and a white sleeveless gym shirt. The sweat pouring from her had rendered her shirt almost transparent. If Shirou was a hormone induced teenager, he'd probably be having problem down there right now. Fortunately, he wasn't.

"Good morning Raffaello-san. Are the blades to your liking?" The blades he was mentioning were the entire gallery of weapons arrayed on the dojo walls. Raffaello was currently holding a katana and a wakizashi. She had probably been practicing with them. Her swords were nowhere to be seen.

"Quite an amazing collection you have here... This sword, it has a strange feel to it." It was a blade that was less than a meter in length, with its curved slender cutting edge reflecting the light. A blade that had been passed down from generations of samurai's. The katana was famous as one of the finest cutting weapons in world military history.

"Ah, yes. Sebastian has been helping me maintain it. That sword was said to have been forged by Masamune, a legendary blacksmith. " Shirou took the blade she held to him. The paladin showed a hint of surprise, so she recognized the name? He took a dry cloth and carefully cleaned the katana before placing it back on its stand. "Breakfast is ready, and I think Doni would need some too."

"Shirou! Food!" The blond was sprawled on the floor after having completed his 1000th swing. Shirou didn't know when his name had become synonymous to food, but the crawling lump on the floor looked desperate to have some right now.

"You can go on ahead Shirou. I need to have a little conversation with my student about proper etiquette and manners." The crawling lump stood up in attention at those words.

"I'll be going ahead then. Oh yeah, I also made some of your favorite dish." That somehow got Raffaello's attention. Shirou had to hold back a smirk of satisfaction. He had them hooked on his cooking. Doni was comically drooling, unable to hold himself back.

* * *

 **-0-**

Shirou returned with a sweaty Doni and a fully awake Raffaello. Several noises were coming from the dining room caused by a bickering Illya and Alice. The instigator watched on at the playing comedy drama while sipping a cup of coffee. Lucretia only raised her cup when Shirou directed his gaze to her.

"What happened here?" He asked to no one in particular.

"They are arguing to who should take the seat beside you." Shirou looked towards the invisible Dragon. Gaericus was finding amusement at the ongoing drama. Though no emotion could be seen on _her_ face, Shirou somehow knew.

"I, am his sister and it is only right that I be near him."

"No you're not, and I am his fiancée! I should be the one who seats here." Alice was facing off against the taller woman unintimidated. Shirou could not help but smile at the scene. He felt a small twinge as he remembered a similar scene playing out in his mind. Only this time, it was a smaller Illya and Arcuide.

"Nooo~, Shirou is mine!"

The argument further devolved from there to who was the one allowed taking the first taste of the food, towards who was taller between the two of them. Really now?

Though he did not miss the comment on Alice saying he was her fiancée. He just took it as a childhood crush, it would disappear in time. Hopefully. Duke Goddodin's daughter, Alice Louise, had been sent to stay with them because of a few reasons. One of them was so that they could check on her condition. Shirou remembered the successful operation that they had conducted on the cheerful girl. With Illya's help and Lucretia's knowledge, they were able to pinpoint the cause of her body's deterioration.

It was a rare natural condition that Shirou had only seen in this world. The apparent cause was that her body was absorbing too much foreign prana. Normally, a magus can absorb mana from the surroundings and turn it into od. But too much mana, or rather foreign prana entering a person's body could cause harmful effects. This should already have caused her death but her body seemed to have developed an innate immunity to the harmful effects of the foreign prana.

The foreign prana that had entered Alice body had also shown unexpected side-effects, or was it the cause? *Alice had the potential to become a powerful mage, maybe even more than Lucretia. Maybe it was being caused by her exposure to too much prana, but Alice had large magical capacity. Large for normal human mages that is. She also seemed to have natural talent to become a witch. Shirou could make a comparison; he could say that Alice was the Barthomeloi Lorelei of this world. That was only in terms of potential though. The Queen of the Clock Tower was one scary woman. Wait, how'd he get into a relationship with her in one of the alternate realities in the first place? Shirou cut that train of thought before he could make a mistake of delving deeper. He did not want to go digging in there.

They had been able to come up with a few solutions to help Alice.

The first was to heal her body and detoxify it of the harmful effects of the foreign prana. They could also achieve a similar effect with this by inserting something similar to Avalon into her body. Illya had hypothesized that maybe Avalon could work. But Shirou was hesitant to take out Avalon inside of Haidee. Avalon was a powerful noble phantasm if used right.

He was not hesitant to use it to heal Alice, but it was because Avalon's presence inside of her might catch the attention of some people. It could also attract beings sensitive to magecraft, say, Heretic Gods. In other words, it might cause her life to be in even more danger. Shirou himself could sometimes feel wary gazes being placed on him. But he had yet to have another encounter with a Heretic God; they were avoiding him for some reason. His first meeting had not been… very informative on what Heretic Gods truly were.

Maybe he could call that meeting a second one if he could call the Divine Beast he had slain as a Heretic God. But according to Lucretia, it was a Subordinate God. Still, she kept muttering something whether Divine Beasts truly counted as Heretic Gods.

The second was to block or slow down the entry of foreign prana into levels manageable for her body. Now, this was far easier to solve. But it was unknown what might happen if they did do this. What if her body had developed some sort of dependence towards foreign prana? If they block or slowed it down, it might even cause more harm than good.

The third solution they could come up with was to open up her magic circuits to enable her to release the foreign prana before it could have any negative effects on her body. This way, she could still absorb prana. But this required Alice to continuously release prana. Releasing prana required the concentration of a magus. This was where Illya came up with something; she created something akin to both a conceptual weapon and a mystic code. A week was not enough to create something that complex. But the prototype that Illya was able to produce in that short span of time was amazing to say the least.

This was the safest and the best solution. Magic circuits are similar to blood vessels; they can only go one way. Od can only be released from the circuits or it can only absorb mana to turn into od. But in this case, prana was being absorbed without magic circuits. What happened was that only a portion of the of the foreign prana would be absorbed while another portion of it would be pushed back by the prana released by the circuits.

In simpler words, Alice was able to regulate the foreign prana entering her body with the help of the conceptual mystic code inside her.

Breakfast was a delightful event as always. Shirou was able to calm the two girls by just asking them to take the seats on both sides of him. That had seemed to calm them down, for now.

* * *

 **-0-**

Shirou frowned as he searched through his Unlimited Blade Works. Several men in suits were busy guarding the area, but he knew there was no need for that. The area had already been enclosed in a bounded field. No one could simply get out or in. Prana coalesced in his hand. A small knife made of gold with a jeweled hilt appeared in it. It was not a blade meant to kill, but was one of the few weapons he had that was meant to protect.

The small knife was capable of blocking any lethal attacks to the bearer once, before it would break. It was useless as weapon because it took too long to create. Shirou handed the dagger to Lucretia.

"Please take this with you. Just in case, so I know that you are safe." Lucretia took the adorned dagger and hid it inside her cloak. There was another function to it, one he did not need to mention.

"Thank you Shirou." Lucretia kneeled and place a kiss on his forehead. "Don't worry; we'll be back before you know it. We wouldn't take longer than a week I'm sure. Remember to not get into too much trouble, okay?" Lucretia took the boy in a bone breaking hug.

"Mmmhhh." Shirou's muffled reply from her embrace. It was stifling.

"Here." A bracelet was thrown towards Lucretia. She looked towards the source of the voice. It was the white haired magus with her arms crossed. "I wouldn't want you dying yet; I still haven't evened the score from last time..."

Shirou could almost imagine sparks between their eyes.

"It's a little something I made." Lucretia looked at the bracelet consisting of interconnected round beads. She could see small writing all over it. "You told me you were going to the Netherworld. So I made it for you. It can increase your magic resistance. If what you told me is accurate, then it can slow down the drain of prana from you when you are there."

"Thank you. This is... rather generous of you."

"Hmmp." Illya snorted and tilted her head sideways.

Lucretia knew why she had done this. It was for Shirou's sake. The two of them had a few conversations when Shirou was not around. There was one thing that they had agreed on: to prevent Shirou from destroying himself with his foolish dream.

"We'll be going then. See you soon Shirou."

Illya childishly stuck her tongue out when Lucretia had turned her back and marched towards Shirou. They watched on as the uniformed security personnel's cleared out.

"Huh? Aren't you going with them, Raffaello-san?" Shirou looked at the dark skinned beauty in confusion.

"I didn't want them here for this." Raffaello brought out two bundles. Shirou could surmise what they contained, Cuiore de Leon and Il Maestro. "Can you keep these two safe for me?"

"But aren't you going to use them?" Shirou hesitantly extended his hands to receive the bundle.

"Hopefully I wouldn't have to need to them." The Paladin unwrapped the first bundle and brought out a sheathed broadsword. "The Twin Swords of the Lion and the Master Musician, if you want to I can give them to you." Shirou could feel the blade's respond to him. He was able to understand them, feel them. But he was unable to replicate them. It was one of the problems he had noticed a few weeks back when he had seen another magical sword. It seemed most of the blade's existing in this world had developed greater sentience than the one's from his own. Maybe it was an effect of the world still existing in the Age of the Gods.

"I don't think I would deserve them, even if you were to offer them to me." The two blades glowed gold and silver. "So what am I going to do with them?"

"I can't really entrust this to that idiot disciple of mine..." Raffaello was deep in thought for a moment before opening her bag to take out a book. "Just keep them safe. If you can find anyone worthy of those blades, then I trust your judgment that you pass them on. Also, take this book."

Shirou could not help but feel uneasy by how Raffaello was acting. He knew these things were important, but why was she entrusting them to him?

"You'll just be gone for a week? Can't you take this with you?"

"Call it a gut instinct. But I feel like something bad is going to happen. This is just in case something happens to me, these things wouldn't be lost." If anyone else knew what those three objects were, they would be mortified by how casually them were being given. But Raffaello had already given this much thought, she had been feeling a strange foreboding ever since she had volunteered to join in the expedition. Her instincts had saved her more than she could count in the past, she was not so foolish as to ignore it.

"How about this book?" Shirou was referring to the old tome in he was given.

"That's a grimoire, the 'Book in Praise of David's Great Works'. I don't know if you are able to use our magic, but that book contains spell-words. Each are to be earned, with blood and sweat. So don't be showing that around to those unworthy."

"Are you sure about entrusting this to me?"

"It would be safest with you. It was quite lucky of us because someone had tried to raid those from the armory in Florence. That useless idiot disciple of mine can't inherit them anyway. Besides, you are his rival. It is only right that you look after him."

"I don't think that's how it goes. He declared himself as my rival, and aren't you going to see him off? It would be a long time again before you two would meet..." Doni had a flight scheduled the same as today, though Shirou didn't understand why he couldn't have just gone straight to Rome from London. It was not his business to pry into it.

"I wouldn't worry about that idiot if I were you. One day we'll meet again, who knows? Maybe by then he would have surpassed me already?"

"But, uhm... these swords, what do I do with them again?" Shirou scratched his right cheek.

"Tsk. Just keep them safe. Maybe I'll take them back when I return. But until then, this would be your responsibility."

"You're going to come back to take them right?" Shirou was not sure if Raffaello just wanted to dump the responsibility of holding those two blades to him because they were troublesome. Maybe? Considering Raffaello's personality, he could not tell.

"Who knows?.. But until then Shirou-kun." Raffaello retreated from their location and made her way towards another car. The two of them watched on as it sped away.

* * *

 **-0-**

 _Flee._

It was the single thought on the woman's mind as she carried a child in her arms. Blood was dripping from her hand as she rushed through the woods. Shadows followed after her.

 _Monsters._

She cried, but her tears were washed away by the rain. Pain and agony was weakening her. But that was not what worried right now. She had to get the child out of here. It was the least she could do. For _their_ sake.

The roof of a house came into view. Relief flooded her. She prayed. She hoped.

" _I am sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry... I'm sorry child..."_

Her strength was waning as she struggled to take a few more steps. The bundle she carried was what kept her going. A lab coat was wrapped around the child she had in her arms. The little girl slept oblivious to the dangers. The drug seemed to be doing its job well. They were both drenched from the oncoming torrent.

" _Please forgive me..._ "

Her prayers would remain unanswered. She knew. But she still held hope in her heart. An iron gate came into view. She made her way towards it. Slowly, the woman knelt down to put the child down.

"Live. Live for my sake. Live for _their_ sake. Please live."

The woman's face could not be seen because of the hood over head, but tears mixed with the rain and blood flowed from her. From her neck, she took a pendant. She wrapped it around the girl's neck, before standing up to knock on the iron gate.

The harsh bark of dogs awakened the sleeping inhabitants of the large mansion like house. The lights of lanterns could be seen to coming towards her. The woman took one last look at the child. She pitied the child. But she pitied herself more. In her mind, even the depths of hell would not be enough an atonement for the grave crimes she had committed. This was her repentance. The little girl was her salvation. With one last look, she ran back towards the woods. She retrieved a signal gun from inside her cloak. It would alert the beasts to her location. When she was about a kilometer away, she fired.

Hopefully, they would all follow after her. They would not dare approach human dwellings. That was what the beasts' master had instructed unto them. The woman could glimpse darkened forms running alongside her now.

It was only a matter of time. But she had no regrets. She closed her eyes when one of the beasts pounced on her. They both tumbled down to the ground in a heap. She did not struggle. It was useless. The beast hovering over her went straight for her throat. This did not exact fear on the woman, but relief. In moments, she died. The pack of carnivorous beasts tugged and pulled her corpse apart. They each competed to get a piece of the woman's flesh. Blood, flesh and bones were flew everywhere.

The last thought the woman had was of the girl she had in her embrace a few minutes ago.

 _And they had called the girl the Spirit of a Hero..._

* * *

 **-0-**

"Shirou?"

"Huh? Ahh!" The little magus jumped away from his 'Onee-sama'.

"What? Did I startle you?"

"...Sigh." Shirou averted his gaze from the window. "I'm sorry Illya. I thought I heard someone else calling my name." Shirou scratched his cheek in embarrassment. He had felt that familiar tug again. It was like he was being called elsewhere.

"Mou~, you're ignoring Onee-sama again. Now take off your clothes so that we'll begin the experiment!" Illya was enthusiastic about the task, she was also readying a small rectangular device on one hand.

"Illya?" Shirou tried calling out to the white haired woman.

"Ufufufufufu~ Shirou's first time! Fufufufu..." Shirou felt shivers run down his spine. He was in danger. Of what exactly?

"Illya?"

"Hmm? What is it Shirou?" Illya looked at him still wearing his clothes.

"Ehhh? Take off your clothes already.~ We're about to begin the experiment you know?" The white haired magus placed the camera back in her pouch that was located between her chest.

"What's with the camera?" Shirou deadpanned.

"It's to take a photo of you of course! I need an 'innocent Shirou look' for my 'little Onii-chan Album Collection'. We have to record all of Shirou's first times. And this is your first checkup!~"

"Little Onii-... Illya! Give me that camera." This was just wrong. Maybe not wrong _wrong_. But she was his little sis-

No screw that. She never was his blood related sister in the first place. Why was he trying to oppose this so much? It was just a photo anyway right?

"Why don't you just take off your clothes already, Shirou? We're supposed to start already you know. Now, take it off. Take all those clothes off."

Shirou looked at the camera that was between Illya's breasts. He'll give up on that. For now. He took one last look at that camera and swore to himself he would get that thing. Shirou started undressing.

That was when the door came crashing down.

"Nooo! Shirou, you can't! Shirou's babies are mine." Alice tackled him to the ground with a flying hug.

"Alice? And... Haidee? What are you two doing here?"

"Shirou! Put your clothes back on! Or you're going to have a baby!"

"Huh? What? Where have you heard something like that from?" Shirou gently patted away the little girl's hands.

"My apologies Shirou-sama." His knight was in a deep bow. "I was unable to stop Miss Alice in time. I know you told me to never enter without your permission..." He could almost sense the panic in the knight's voice.

"It's alright Haidee." Shirou turned back to the girl clinging to him. He reminisced about the times when he had explained to his own daughters about the birds and bees. And the little girl clinging to him shouting about something as absurd as babies being a result of a man being naked with a woman was one of the reasons why he had tasked his partners about the importance of sex education.

There was one time when Hanabi-chan, his second daughter, had found him and Rin doing a little S and M play. Rin was into that, he had just been indulging her. Okay. But they both enjoyed it though. Anyway, Hanabi had come rushing inside when she had heard Rin shouting something along the lines of, 'Shirou~, hurt me more', or something like that. That was an embarrassing memory. And luckily, Hanabi-chan had been too young at that time to remember any of it. But things had been a little bit awkward around that time. Especially when Illya kept cracking jokes about who was the masochist now? Or how Rin secretly liked being dominated...

Shirou was brought out of that line of thought. He had better things to be thinking of.

"Alice, please get off me. There are going to be no babies here anytime soon. We're just doing a checkup." Shirou raised his arms in a show of surrender.

"Promise?" It was those puppy dog eyes again.

"Promise."

"Okay." The girl got off him. Shirou could glimpse his knight enduring the urge to look around. He remembered a quote about cats killed by curiosity or something. He knew Haidee had something to do with this. Maybe she had somehow incited the little girl into entering his workshop. That was most likely. He was not the traditional kind of magus. And there was nothing in here that could pertain to the true nature of his mysteries. He was little more lax with people gaining entry to his workshop. What other things he had been working on were stored in Illya's workshop. She had a more secure bounded field, that was besides the fact that she was able to help him on most of it.

Various trinkets littered the room though. Old tomes and trinkets were neatly arranged, in a corner of the room were a few old machines that he had been disassembling. Gears, machine parts and tools were in that corner. On one side was, near a book case was a table with his journal on top of the table. He had left it there because he had been planning on working on it and writing more about the things the Dragon had told him. Most of the things that Gaericus had been telling him were things that could technically revolutionize the outlook of most magi on the theories involving thaumaturgy. Oh, how Rin would have a field day if she ever got wind of something like this.

He had been letting Illya take a look at some of it. But not all of it. There were things that he needed to work out on his own.

Shirou looked at the fidgeting Haidee. He had shown her how he was able to 'summon blades'. But he had never told her the details of it. He did hint to her that his ability to summon the blades were his own skills, not something he had gained from others.

"You can look around if you want. But please stay away from the markings on the floor." He nodded towards the bowing knight.

"Uhm. Of course. Thank you Shirou-sama."

"Awww... This was supposed to be our alone time Shirou." Illya dramatically put a hand on her forehead in a show of disappointment.

" . Ha." The blond little girl glared at Illya while saying those words. It was not a laugh but more like she was pronouncing them. The glare made her look like a fierce little puppy though. Almost too cute.

Shirou took off all his clothes. Alice was covering her eyes with her hands. But she was obviously looking between the gaps in her fingers. He was not one for modesty, although he berated others on it. Well, he was a hypocrite. He had tried to save others in the past but he couldn't even save those closest to him.

"Now, get on the table Shirou." Illya's tone changed from her childish demeanor to her magus persona. Almost all magus had a grasp on hypnotism. Shirou was no exception, when his mind went from normal to self-hypnotized battle mode. "Okay, now release your suppression."

Shirou breathed out a sigh of relief. It was like trying to breathe fresh air after staying in a smog filled traffic for a hours. He let the prana that he had been suppressing leak out. He uncoiled the first rune that he used to lock his own prana in. That was followed by a second rune set. Then he stopped, this would be enough for now.

"Trace on."

His circuits thrummed to life. He could almost feel the rhythmic beat that was synchronized to his pulse.

"How are you Shirou? Anything wrong? Magic Circuits? Prana release problems? None? How about the runes? Any problems with the glyph units?" Illya listed off things that could possibly be having problems.

"Everything's fine."

"Okay then. Try to reach for that thing for now."

The experiment right now was if he was able to access what was inside Dragon's Core. At a slow crawl, he hesitantly reached out to it. He had gained Gaericus permission to do this. She was had been adopting an almost nonchalant expression when he had asked. What Shirou had read from her expressionless face that time was a Cheshire grin spreading on her face. Shirou was able to somehow know what the Dragon felt. He knew that the Dragon knew about this, but she never mentioned it.

The magus had barely touched it when he felt the raw energy from it. He could not describe what it was. It was far cleaner and purer than the od he was used to. It felt even more natural than mana. The closest thing he could describe the energy as was _pure life-force_. Shirou tried getting closer. But he could not get nearer anymore. Something was pushing him back. Either it was too strong or...

"You are still too weak to be utilizing what is mine, Hero." Shirou was almost lost control of himself. There, he noticed the Dragon staring at him. Shirou concentrated and put words on his thought. This was one way that he was able to have a conversation with the Dragon without looking weird. Because who would he be talking to if he verbalized his thought, surely not the wind.

" _I'm sorry. Have I awakened you with that?_ "

" _This ancient one was not asleep, merely busy with something. This Emperor has taken notice of your attempt to harness my power, and has taken the pleasure of gracing you with my presence. Shouldn't you be happier, Hero?_ "

" _I- I am_?" The little magus hesitantly answered.

"Shirou? You're doing that again." Illya's voice echoed in his mind like a faraway voice.

"Huh. Oh, what is it Illya?"

"Are you sure you're alright? Because I still want to go visit your new school. And you're suppose to start going on Monday."

Shirou sighed. Why'd he agree to that stupid plan in the first place? It was for the pretense of integrating themselves into normal society. He had been the one to propose it under the guise of wanting to live something similar to a normal life. But he had actually done it to have an escape from the everyday chaos and headache from the house. But it was true that he wanted to experience something like a normal life though.

He had been the one to promise Illya that he would be attending school. He had conveniently _forgotten_ that he was still under seven years of age. How was he supposed to act as a grade schooler again? "Okay, maybe I need to get ready now."

"Hmmm. Okay.~ Then it's bath time first Shirou-kyun!"

"Illya..."

"What is it Shirou-kyun?~"

The little magus groaned at his Onee-sama's antics. Everything had a price it seemed. But he was willing to pay this one for his Illya'shappiness. It was just that Illya's happiness sort of depended on his migraine level.

"Oh Sebastian, where have you been?" Shirou took notice of the butler that was waiting outside the room. He had always thought of Sebastian almost like Berserker with how Illya was treating him. Maybe a sentient Berserker. But the head butler had more the presence of an assassin than anything.

"There seems to have been some problem back home Illya-sama. The maids have called to ask me how to deal with it. But don't worry. I've dealt with it. Now for the reports you've asked..." The tall elderly man fixed the monocle perched on his eye and begun reading something to Illya. The former Magus Killer did his best to escape. He loved Illya alright, but his (un)related sister could make a disaster out of something as simple as a bath. He did his best to run for the bathroom. Hopefully, Sebastian would be able to hold her up until he finished taking a bath. Yes, hopefully. Maybe he could make a trip to the bookstore this afternoon too, the books should have arrived by now if he counted right.

* * *

 **-0-**

The wind chimes tinkled a soft tune as they were disturbed by the sudden gust of air that touched them. Ichirou looked up from the book on his lap to see a strange man who had just entered his shop. The man was rather tall and one could say his appearance was appealing. He looked rugged and unshaven. His long hair reached past his shoulders. But what made him strange was the clothing he was wearing. The man was wearing a hakama over a yukata of contrasting colors of dark red top and deep blue trousers respectively. The clacking of wooden geta sandals snapped the old shop keeper from his daze.

Fierce. His eyes were fierce and terrifying. Ichirou stopped moving when those eyes landed on him.

"What can I help you with, uh, sir?" The man walked towards the counter with a barely visible limp on his right leg. Ichirou took a look at the swords strapped on the man's right side. There was an air of nobility to the man, even with his rough looks. It felt similar to the aura that he always felt from that red-headed kid that would sometimes drop by for a visit every now and then.

"The scent has led me here… Hmm." The strange man scrutinized him with eyes that shined like silver. "Tell me, do you know of the Dragon that dwells in this place."

Ichirou felt sweat gather on his brow. The pressure of the man's gaze was heavy. Judging by the man's attire, Ichirou could have mistaken the man for a samurai even without the armor. If he was to be more realistic, the man could even be a ronin from the feudal period of Japan. The man did look out of place, more so if he was outside.

"Dragon?" Ichirou almost flinched when the man made a sudden movement by putting a hand on the hilt of this sword, ready to draw.

"Yes, the Lord that governs over this area."

"Hey! Jii-san?" A mop of red head showed up from the front door. A small child of about seven years old pushed the door open, again disturbing the wind chimes. "Have you got the… Oh. I'll be back. I see that you got a customer…"

It was too sudden. The exchange did not even last for more than a few seconds. Pieces of paper floated from the air to the ground. Ichirou jumped away by reflex, he felt his old bones creaking and cracking from the forced exertion.

The strange man was no longer where he was moments ago. His sword was drawn in a single hand remove extended behind him while the other held the shorter blade. Ichirou looked at the boy holding two other blades in his hands while biting the other on the handle. The blades were being held in an x shape.

"Jii-san! Are you alright?" The boy let go of the blades and jumped beside the old man. A few boxes had been toppled over spilling the contents. Some books had fallen off from the shelves. Ichirou could see the genuine concern on the boy's face. The elderly man took the boy's face closer to his own and whispered in his ear.

"Shirou- no, get out of here! That man is dangerous!" Ichirou took a key from his pockets and shoved it on the boy's small hands. "Here, take this. It's the key to the back door, I'll buy you sometime . Go, now go!" The old man frantically whispered in his ear and took hold of the handle of a chair.

"It's alright Jii-san. I'm sorry for the trouble, but I'll take care of this." Shirou handed the key back to the old man. Ichirou just stared at him blankly. He put the key on his pocket and face the strange man.

"So it's you… What are you? You are no god, but you are no Campione either." The strange man readied his weapons again in a stance.

"The others had warned me of you. They say you are dangerous."

"Are you a Heretic God?" The boy asked for confirmation from the strange man. Ichirou watched on as he readied the broken chair with both hands. If worse comes to worst, he could shield the boy with his own body. But he already knew that it was useless when those words came from the boy's mouth. A Heretic God, gods that descended unto the human world. That was what Lucretia had told him. He prayed to whatever higher being was out there that they could both get out of here unscathed. This was the first time he had ever seen one. Didn't Lucretia say that they were invisible to human eyes?

"Umu, sorry 'bout that, I was only testing your worth." The man sheathed his blades. "I would rather not reveal who I am, but I also go by the name of Takezou. A blade who serves no master." The man calmly bowed down to pick a book that was spilled from one of the boxes. The characters on the title appeared as "The Book of the Five Rings". The man smiled faintly at joke that only he understood. "Is this what they call fate?"

He tossed the book towards Shirou who caught it in one hand while wearily freeing another so as to be able to grasp a blade if the need arose. The boy looked behind him to the old man.

"What does a Heretic God want with me?"

"Who knows?"

The boy narrowed his eyes, as his pupils started turning more draconic.

"Can we take this elsewhere then? I don't want anyone innocent to be involved in this." The strange man considered his proposition.

"Alright then. Find me in the open field not more than three ri to the north from here. "

"Very well. I'll follow after you." Wait, ri? How far was that? "Sorry about this Ichirou-jii-san. I'll help you pick up the mess later."

"Wait! Shirou!"

The boy took off before he could catch him.

"What am I going to do now…" The old man slumped by the doorway as he watched the boy disappear.

* * *

 **-0-**

"Will you accept the contract?" The disembodied voice asked the woman standing before it. "He is dangerous even without my influence on him."

"He is an Oathbreaker. Why did you allow a contract with him in the first place?"

"You ask too many questions, and that is not within my capability to are you alright with this?" The floating blue mass of light which was how the world perceived the embodiment of the Will of Humanity floated before the woman.

"I consider myself capable enough, if that is what you wish to know. I will fulfill the contract as long as you fulfill your side of the bargain." It would unnerve almost everyone to endure the presence of Alaya.

"Of course. After all, I was the one who proposed it. I can't possibly break it."

The woman stared sharply at the floating mass in irritation, her baseball cap hiding her face. It was not that she hated that being, or whatever it was. But the voice that Alaya was using made her remember somethings she would rather not. The lingering warm touch of a long lost lover…

"Are you ready? I will send you there whenever you are."

"I am ready." The tall proud form of the knight replied curtly.

"But be warned, that world still exists within the Age of the Gods. There might be others who will prevent you from completing your mission. I have already asked permission from that world's Overseer for your entrance. I do not have an influence there, so you will have to find another source of prana for your own use. You can form a contract if you want, similar to the Grail System that magi have developed. I have already made arrangements for that as well."

The woman nodded, her golden mane shaking with the motion of her head.

"What is it should I prepare for?"

"Well, the former Counter Guardian you will be hunting down goes by the name of EMIYA."

The gritting of teeth could be heard as the woman's barely controlled emotions nearly showed on her face. Was it rage? Trepidation? Hatred? Grief? Or was it pity? Centuries of practice and self control restrained her from showing anything else.

"And why did you have to withhold this information until now?" A voice cold as frigid ice came from the woman. She could hear the floating mass emit a soft giggle.

"Why? Is it not human to enjoy the suffering of others? I am only trying to re-enact what I am learning from Humanity. And I find breaking that mask of yours to be quite a task. But a very rewarding task, don't you think? So? Do you still want to do it?"

"Enough of this. Tell what else I need to know and be done with it."

"Hmm, hmm. Very well. It would seem that you have been given more time. The destruction of that world has currently been averted a short time after my link with that rogue has been cut off. To prevent the death of a world is no simple matter as you know.

Beware of whatever creature that lurks in there. Oh, and one more thing, EMIYA may have escaped with some of his accumulated memories. He may use that to his advantage and become what they call in that world as Campione. But it would be a simple matter if you just approach him and use the guise of your former relationship… I think that-"

"ENOUGH!" The knight's barely contained burst of outrage let out an amused giggle from the floating mass of light.

"Phoo, you're no fun at all Sa-ber-chan~."

"If that is all you need to say then _please_ allow me to leave now." A hand covered in an iron gauntlet gripped the hilt of a sword ornamented with the letters of the fairies.

"Why the rush? Surely you do not hate me that much now do you?" The woman remained silent at the taunt. She cleared her mind of all thoughts and steeled herself. "Okay then, hope enjoy your hunt!"

Complex sigils surrounded the woman forming a circle at her feet. The circle slowly floated up making the woman enter a dimensional pocket, her body disappearing in motes of prana.

"I still haven't warned her of those _things_. But never mind. This is for the good of Humanity after all." The floating mass of light disappeared covering the area back into darkness. "You cannot escape me, EMIYA."

* * *

-0-

A.N.

Sorry for the short chapter! I swear I'll make it up by reaching a 15k word count on the next one. This one barely made it past 9.2k…

Just to be honest, the deadline was what motivated me to write this. -_- Maybe I should promise an earlier deadline, that way, I would be more motivated to write. Haha, just food for thought... No. Wait. Uh, I think I missed the deadline... Did I? -.- I seriously got no sense of time... So, I didn't wait for the beta to point the mistakes for me...

Here's some notes. I've been thinking bout this for a while now. Do I take this story darker or lighter? I've been thinkin real hard on this. And I just can't decide. If I take story to the darker path, it'll probably sound more angsty, it'll get more drama and shit and stuff and there'll probably be lemons. Also it would probably be more graphic if I take it darker. I am seriously taking inspirations from pretty dark light novels and manga anyway.

If I do take it lighter, it would probably be more on humor and adventure. Y'know? Shounen feels? I'm inclined to take it to the darker path though. I know some o you are too lazy to take time for a poll so please just leave a review or something. Just your opinion? And on my own opinion, I think I've been stayin pretty much neutral, I guess. Meh. I dunno, but please leave a review on your thoughts.

And to be frank… I had half a mind to abandon this. Yeah, I was seriously thinking of quitting. Again. But noooo! I'll keep writing for the sake of those few readers anyway. I'll try to improve. But seriously, I got a few critical hits because of the reviews… I know that I should just ignore people calling your work trash or garbage or something without them giving a good reason for it but it really does miracles to kill my remaining motivation… Sheesh. I hate this. But all in all I just go, "meh."

* It was mentioned in Campione that Alice body was deteriorating because of her magical talent. That's all I can remember though, but I think her sickness was caused by 'being too talented'. That was the implication I got though. Lewl.

-There's a something in this chapter that I forgot to put. I can't put my finger on it but I know I forgot something in here. Oh well...

-And on the topic about the canon lore: the origin of heretic gods. I know that the LN elaborated on the reason for the existence of Heretic Gods. Not everyone was able to read the LN anyway, but just in case though I know I'm repeating myself, again. I'm building over the canon lore. Doing additions and merging things…and stuff.

I think I'll be able to finish the next chapter in 12 days or so and sending it to beta, it'll probably take two weeks.


	8. A Blade's Oath II (End of an Era)

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot.

Another thanks to Beta: MarksmanKNG

* * *

 _"Perceive that which cannot be seen with the eye."_

-Niten Dōraku

* * *

 **Chapter 8**

It was cold and dark. That was the first thing the girl could remember as she stared up at the two adults holding a conversation beside her bed. There was an old lamp by the table on the bed that made the shadows dance as the fire flickered.

" _You can't possibly be thinking of bringing her to over to the Mistress' home, are you, Gabrielle? That could get you kicked from your job! Besides, we don't even know where this child came from._ "

" _The child has no home to return to Madame. Please, let me take care of her... I'll still do my job, I promise. Please... just this once please allow me this favor..._ "

" _You get can both of us into trouble with this, if the Head Maid-"_ The stern gazed Assistant Head Maid stopped short as she noticed the little girl stirring. " _We will continue this conversation elsewhere, for now go to your duties. Let me take care of the child for now._ "

" _My thanks Madame... I'll see you later then, little one._ " The girl could not understand the words, but she grabbed on to the lapels of the kind maid's dress before she could leave.

"Please don't leave me..." A croaked and unused voice came from the child. She felt it, another person who had shown her even the slightest kindness leaving. As more of her mind awakened from her slumber, the girl remembered the pain. White hot blinding pain that was inflicted on her day by day.

 _She was a failure._

Tears flowed from her eyes as she slowly remembered more of the torture that had been inflicted on her. She felt a warm embrace on her, but she did not look up. Day by day, inside that damp and dark room, they had done painful and strange things to her. The girl hugged herself as she remembered the approaching scalpel, ready to cut her open again.

" _Hush, hush, little one. I'll be here to take care of you. Don't cry, please don't cry."_ The woman stroked the girls head. She could see the visible signs of torture that the little girl had gone through. There were burn marks and bruises on the girl's pale skin. She could feel herself crying for the little girl. Who could have done this to such an innocent soul?

She might be have been an abused child. The torn and shredded corpse of a woman had been found outside of the mansion a few days ago. This child had been left on the gates with a letter on her. This girl was probably an orphan now. But how could they tell her that? That the person who was taking care of her had been killed by wild beasts.

A silent sob escaped the girl. For the first time in her life, she let the tears run freely down her cheeks. She cried. For the pain she had endured, for the hell that she had escaped, she cried. Why? Why was it that it was only her who lived? The weakest and a failure, why was she allowed to live when all the others had died. Why couldn't she have been the one to die?

The kind lady with glasses had come to her that night, she told her that they would escape together. She had told her that she would live a normal life, a happy life. Was it all a lie?

" _Gabrielle..._ " The stern gaze softened at the sight. " _You can take a day off for now, I'll assign Therese for you today._ " The aged matron's eyes reddened, but she did not let any other emotions show.

" _Thank you Madame..._ " A light sigh escaped the old woman's lips, her face crinkling a little as she tried to smile.

" _But make sure to take care of that child, alright? Don't slack off. Just because I let this slide once doesn't mean I'll allow it again. Ahh, heavens forbid, I think I'm getting softer with age..._ "The words were echoed as the Assistant Head Maid closed the door behind her as she left.

" _It's alright little one, I'll take care of you..._ "

The girl let sleep take her as she lay there on the warm embrace of another. She prayed and hoped that once she woke up, that this was not a dream.

* * *

-0-

"Good morning, Rin." A warm voice welcomed the entrance of a person who looked like she just came out of a coffin.

"Aoko. Good morning… Coffee please Shi- Aoko." She cut herself before she could continue.

"You look like you still need some sleep. Here's a cup." Aoko Aozaki, housewife, a mother, a magus and the retired Vice Wizard Marshal of the Clock Tower. She was currently wearing an apron over her house clothes.

"So, how was last night? Find any clues yet?" Aoko waited patiently as the half-awake magus took a few long draughts of the coffee.

"…Sigh. I can't say it was a clue, but I guess that was better than nothing." Rin let a sad smile slip. "I just hope he and Illya are alright."

Over the years, a peaceful status quo had developed between the two. It was… their relationship was complicated to say the least. It all started when a fight had erupted between, the fiery little magus of the Tohsaka's and a certain idiot by the name of Emiya. Shirou had left Rin in London after that. A few years later, the red headed idiot had returned back to Japan with a pregnant Aoko in tow. That was when he found out that he actually had a daughter with Rin. Well, if Shirou might have guessed that what was causing her temper tantrums back then was _that_. Things wouldn't have gotten so complicated.

The idiot survived the two women's onslaught with almost half of the bones in his body broken, and he ended up with a shattered spine short of being dead. Oh he survived alright, he better did or something far worse could have befallen him. Someone had to… take responsibility. For both of them.

"Earth to Rin!"

The half-awake Rin nearly fell from her chair. A woman with red hair and chocolate brown eyes took the seat opposite her. She looked like she was in her mid 30's. Though like most of the family, she was far older than that. It was just that her mother looked far younger than her.

"Eris! What'd you do that for? You're as insensitive as your father." She could see the glumness in her expression being reflected on the coffee.

"Good morning Kaa-chan!" The cheerful and loud greeting lightened the earlier mood. "Good morning Rin."

"Eris, shouldn't you be greeting your _mother_ first? And how come you call Aoko as mom and not me?" A smile was forming on her face.

"Eh? But Rin doesn't have any mother like qualities anyway right?" The smile on Rin's face further spread. "Rin? Why are you doing that again?"

"Doing what Eris-chan?"

"Gah-" Eris fell into a dogeza and profusely apologized before her biological mother could do anything else. Nothing good always came out of her smiles. "I'm sorry mother! This wayward daughter of yours was disrespectful. Truly!"

"By the way Eris-chan…Taiga is already about to get married too~. I wonder when will you be bringing a man home? At this rate, you'll end up an old maid. Ohh? But you already are. I'll make sure Miyuki won't grow up like you." Rin's innocent question prompted to tears to fall from the grown woman.

"Mooooooommmm! That's unfair. I already said I'm sorry."

"Oh? Did I hear anything there? I thought I heard an old maid crying."

"GAAHH! I can't hear you. I can't hear you. I can't hear you." Rin watched in satisfaction as the woman writhed on the floor from the imaginary arrows she received.

"There there Eris, I'm sure you'll find the right man someday." Aoko couldn't help but smile.

"Sniff. Sniff. Yeah, if only…"

"You do have the worst luck in men…"

"The last man you've been meeting was two-timing you right?" Eris ignored Rin's mischievous smirk and answered her question.

"No, actually, he was three-timing… Gahh! Aoko-kaa-chan! Rin is bullying me!"

"There, there now stop crying. I've cooked your favorite recipe today too."

"Curry?..."

"Of course. Now go get a towel and wipe that snot off your face. It's unladylike."

"Okay! Hmm hmm hmm~ Spicy curry~. Curry~."

Rin sighed at this. Her daughter was just too idiotic sometimes. Eris had inherited her father's looks but she had her mother's temperance and mental aptitude. Eris was known as a genius magus for coming up with ways to incorporate both science and thaumaturgy together. Though most of the traditionalists frowned at this, the new generation of magus had warmly welcomed it. But where she had gotten her childish attitude wasn't much of a mystery either. It was probably Illya's fault, or maybe older Taiga's…

As for Aoko, well, she had mellowed from being a mother.

"Why are you here Eris?"

"Huh? Are you still asleep Ri- I mean Mother? You asked me to come home to help you with _that_ remember?"

Oh right. And there was someone else who had come home. A shadow fell on the contemplating magus.

"Good morning Rin-kaa-san, good morning Kaa-chan... Eh, when did you come home Nee-san? I didn't see you yesterday." Another female entered the room and sat on the chair opposite Rin. It was Taiga, Shirou's third daughter.

"Good morning Taiga." Rin greeted back.

"Neh, neh Taiga. It isn't true right? That you're about to get married right? I mean, you should let you older sister find herself a man first, right?"

"Uhhmm, ahahaha. Yeah… darling and I have decided to get married."

This made the older sister stumble back from the imaginary blow. Her dignity as an older sister already in shreds.

"Uwaaahh! Tou-san! Taiga has a boyfriend! And she's already about to get married!" Taiga instinctively covered her step-sister's mouth. She waited nervously for a certain redhead to appear rampaging through the house as he came. No one came.

"Phew. Don't scare me like that Nee-san. You know, if Tou-san heard that? He'd really make his way back here from that other dimension. And he just spoiled you too much."

The three people remained silent thinking about that statement. Yes, Shirou would most probably do that. He had the penchant of turning like the cold analytic Archer whenever his daughters were involved. He was scary like that.

"Eris. Can you go call Miyuki-chan over? Breakfast is almost ready." Aoko called out from the kitchen. They all noticed the slight tenseness in her voice but they didn't try to mention it.

It was a fact to them that Aoko was probably the one who missed Shirou the most aside from Arcueid that would be.

"I just hope Shirou isn't doing something so reckless in there." Rin's whispered words were unheard.

* * *

-0-

It was like a dance. A mesmerizing dance of glinting steel. It was not too much of an exaggeration to call the duel beautiful. Haidee watched from afar knowing that she would only be a hindrance if she partook in the battle. She could feel her breath being taken away by the sight before her. So this was what a battle between beings beyond human was like? She was not much of a master in the way of a sword. But she could instinctively tell that they were not yet truly fighting. The two swordsmen were tentatively probing each other. They were testing the other's strength and speed. Techniques were yet to be revealed.

In all her short life, she had never seen anything that could equal the brilliant swordplay being displayed by the two warriors.

Her Master's opponent was dual wielding two blades. If she could remember right, her Master called them the traditional pair of blades worn by ancient warriors of this land. The katana and the wakizashi, the former being symbolic of the samurais and the latter more often than not accompanying the former. In her Master's hand was a nodachi, a blade similar to a katana but straighter and longer. She could not tell from the distance, but she guessed it was probably more than a meter in length.

The nodachi in her Master's hands moved too fast for her to see. It was fast enough that it left afterimages in its wake. Curving, flowing like the turbulent currents of a river. The blade followed an arc with each cut. But her Master's opponent was no less skilled either. Each of their strikes were lethal, aimed to kill or maim their opponent. She sighed like a love struck woman.

She had followed the directions given by the old man at the bookstore that Shirou frequented. Her master never came home late unless something happened. Warning bells had been set off when Lucretia's old friend, the owner of the bookstore, called them telling them of what happened. She had rushed here immediately. His master's supposed sister would probably be arriving right about now.

A white haired woman dressed in a tight fitting black suit landed on Haidee's right, strange bird like things floating around her.

"How is Shirou?"

"Shirou-sama is holding out. They have not yet taken to fighting seriously. But I can say his opponent could be a dangerous one, a Heretic God. It would be wise to let Master handle this Illyasviel-sama."

"Hrrrmm…" Illya analyzed the two fighters. She could sense the absurd amount of prana that both were releasing. The levels she could sense told her that Shirou had released three of the 'seals'. That meant this situation wasn't looking too good. She would intervene if Shirou released the sixth seal. Hopefully, that 'seal' would do its job.

A memory resurfaced in her mind. It was the terrifying memory of what had happened when Shirou had nearly lost control of his power. Luckily, Shirou had somehow gained knowledge of a blueprint for a very strange sealing matrix. Shirou had told him that it was from one of his alternate reality's memories. But she didn't think so; it was too different from anything she had ever seen. It was too strange, ancient.

Illya had overworked herself for a week straight to recreate that seal matrix. She didn't know where Shirou had gotten it from, but she was impressed.

It was suppressing his draconic nature quite well.

"Haidee, secure the area. Make sure no one gets in the way if things get out of hand." She let prana run through her body, a red tinted light permeated from her as od ran through her circuits.

Magic circuits were imbedded in the soul, not the body. So it was a mystery to her how she had regained most of her circuits that she had lost after the ritual that prolonged her life. It was not close to the circuits that she previously had as a vessel for the grail, but it was still far above that of what an average magus held. But a lesser number of magic circuits did nothing to curb her brilliance as a magus.

Her research on the changes of Shirou's psyche had helped her in creating weapons that could enable her to hold out against any weaker Heretic Gods. The results of her 'experiments' had yielded to her that Shirou had the magic resistance that ranked at 'A'. Any magecraft targeted towards Shirou lesser than that would have either weaker or no effect to him at all.

She would have to prepare for something close to an A rank spell if things got out of hand. Illya began drawing inscriptions on the top of the building they were on. Haidee curiously looked towards the woman. She wanted to study the writings but her master's safety held priority. She watched on as the two swordsmen held their ground for another exchange while the magus beside her went over her preparations.

* * *

-0-

"You're holding back." Shirou gazed at the warrior.

"So are you… "

Shirou swiftly deflected the strike that had been aimed at his chest and retaliated immediately with a horizontal slash. It was blocked by the shorter blade. Shirou retreated hastily from the oncoming strike of the katana. He executed a rotation while slashing towards his opponent's feet. The longer range of his blade kept the Heretic God from continuing with his momentum. This had all happened within the span of but a few seconds. They had each been trying to find an opening but the other would immediately react to feint or defend. It was a game of patience. Who would be able to get the first strike in would win.

The magus tensed for a moment, as touki coated his body. He had learned much from the advice that the Dragon would impulsively drop to him. He had yet much to learn in how to use the strange energy, but one use he had learned from it was that it was pretty much compatible with his reinforcement. Touki allowed him to be able to reinforce his body to higher limits.

The ground below Shirou cracked and shattered from the sudden attack. He had blocked before his mind could comprehend what was happening. The force of the strike was too much throwing him back a few meters from his original position. His small body slammed on a protruding piece of rock. Dust obscured his location. So the ronin was upping the ante? Two could play at that game. An imaginary chain was unwounded from his heart. Another seal was released. Golden orbs glowed visibly even from the dust and debris.

From Shirou's perspectives, time slowed almost to a halt. Releasing the seal did more than just strengthen him, it brought him closer to being a dragon in the form of a human. His speed, his strength, his endurance, all of it doubled with every part of the seal released. But that was not all. Normally, a human's body could only take so much 'reinforcement', but being closer to a dragon than human increased his limits to insane levels. The feeling was addicting. He squashed the urge to release another chain from his seal.

The taste of power was alluring but with his current state of mind, nothing less than breaking his mind would redirect him from his current course of action.

' _Faster_.'

Shirou's blurred form shot straight towards the waiting ronin.

It was a trap. Prana had begun gathering around the Heretic God most likely in preparation of a powerful attack. He had realized too late because of the cover from the dust. He was unable to change direction and his speed was useless in midjump. Even with his increase in speed and power, it would be useless if he could not defend from the incoming blow.

" _Man is born with nothing_

 _To the earth he will return holding nothing_

 _Initial Form, Strike of Non-thought."_

Shirou adjusted his form midair with the nodachi's bladed edge facing upwards. He let the memory of the sword take him. It was unconventional, but it was necessary. The memory of a man who had trained for so long to achieve this one technique came to him. To cut a sparrow in midflight, this was what the man in the sword's memories aimed for. A sword technique that insulted the laws of physics, it was something that was almost on par with the second magic. Normally, the technique could only be used of flat ground. But he would have to make do with it if he wished to make it out of this unscathed.

" _Tsubame-"_

The swords in the Heretic God's hand enlarged themselves to massive proportions. Was it an illusion? Shirou almost paused at the sight. A shadow wielded the blades that could outsize a bus.

The Monohoshizao in his hands took over him, memories flowed to him. The most skilled swordsman from even the great collection of hero's from the Fifth Holy Grail War, _Sasaki Kojirou_.

" _Gaeshi!_ "

Two curved arcs that rivaled the enlarged blades in size went straight towards the waiting ronin.

' _Could he make it? He needed to.'_

Shirou allowed one more seal to be released. The air around him turned bluish red from the thick mixture of prana and touki being released. An imaginary chain was unwrapped around his heart.

Both were thrown back from the force released by each other's strike. Shirou managed to land on his feet but he fell immediately. There was a gash to his right leg; it was near where his tendons were. He had been able to evade that cut at the last second. If it had gone any lower, he would have been deprived of his mobility, which was his greatest advantage in this battle. That would have then meant his defeat, unless he tried another means to win this battle aside from using pure blade skills.

But he could not do that. It was foolishness to think like this. But such was the strength of the curse of Pride.

The broken remnants of the nodachi turned into motes of prana as they fell.

This was to be expected. Or rather, he had underestimated the blade. Monohoshizao, was only of mortal make. It would not have lasted longer against the blade of a Heretic God.

Shirou looked towards where his enemy had fallen. They were both on their knees. But there was a hint of a smile on his opponents face. The ragged form of the man rose to his feet and made his way to Shirou. The magus prepared a hundred blades ready to be summoned at will if necessary. The Heretic God sheathed his blades in a show of non-aggression. He stopped not more than a meter from Shirou.

"This is enough. You are _strong_."

He could not help but feel some relief at those word. He was both glad and a little disappointed that the fight was over. This was the first time that he had been in a life and death duel since being reincarnated. It was strangely comforting to him. It was a weird feeling.

"So what is it that you want?"

The rogue Heretic God sat opposite Shirou in with his knees bent and his toes tucked behind him. The ronin removed both blades and sheath from his person and place it between them.

"I would like to offer you my allegiance."

"Huh?" Shirou was too stunned to form any coherent thought.

"If I am being so blunt, I want you to take me as a retainer, a subordinate or whatever they call 'em in this day and age."

"No, no, no. Wait. Can you start from the beginning? So what was this all about?"

"There is unrest in the Realm of the Gods. Something is happening. The Titans are stirring from their prisons. Factions are being formed, and blades are being sharpened right now as we speak. The someone has told me that there is a Dragon that sleeps in these lands…"

"So this was what the fight was for? It was a trial?"

"Yes and no. But the fight was for me to know what kind of person you are. I'm a warrior, and the only way for me to know what I want to is through a sword fight."

"What did you learn from me then?" The question was rhetorical but the ronin answered anyway.

"You're a fool. But maybe it's that which makes you strong." Shirou smiled thinly at the comment. It was both an insult and a praise.

"And what would you have done if you had not found what you had expected? What if I was not the Dragon that you seek?"

"But you are." The scars on the man's face became more prominent. "I for one, would never have believed if they told me that a Dragon could be… kind. Before my descent, I was met by someone. They have not told their name, but she was in a form of child. The child has told me to seek you; she said that you would be able to grant me my wish. In return, I will offer you my blade. I will serve you for a hundred years, a thousand, or a hundred millennia if that is what you want. "

Shirou could not help but feel overwhelmed. So the fight was just a farce? The Heretic God's true aim was this? No, it couldn't be. The man before him was not that kind of person. _He_ was no mercenary. This Heretic God's legend even told of him as a man who did not kneel to no Lord. That was, if the clue's that he had been given to his identity was true.

"And what is it that you wish for?" Shirou let his curiosity get the better of him. He was not an omnipotent God who could grant wishes, but he was willing to help the Heretic God. The man stared at him as if to measure his worth.

"… I wish… to die a true death."

Heretic Gods do not die. They are only returned to their myth once they are slain. To die a true death would mean…

"You wish to erase your existence? That- that is not something within my capabilities."

"You misunderstand. The strange child told me that you are reforging a sword, a cursed sword that could cut all that is evil, an evil sword that can bring true death to all."

"Your blade…" The boy stared at the sheathed katana. It looked familiar, like an old friend he had not met for a long time. He could not copy the blade into his Unlimited Blade Works. But the blade told him of its story, though not willingly. "To do something that can't be done without madness…" The blade only gave him glimpses, but it was enough. This was the first time that this had ever happened to him. He could not read the blade like he could a normal one. It was obscured. But the blade did give him one picture, one that screamed of a similar tragedy. Schathach.

"Will you accept this wanderer as a retainer, Lord?" The man looked him in the eye.

"I… I cannot…"Shirou remained silent for a few seconds in deep thought.

The ronin took his silence as refusal and made a move to leave.

"I follow a dreary path." This caught the ronin's attention, the god turned back to the boy. "If you want refuge, I don't think I can say that I can give you that. I am also unsure of what you mean by me forging a sword that can grant you true death." He had a clue to what the sword was. The only sword he knew of that could 'cut through all evil' as the warrior stated was _that_ cursed and broken sword. But he did not have a single inkling as to how to reforge it.

"And I have a dream I wish to accomplish. It will either be a path bathed in blood or steeped in hardships. As you say, I am a fool. Call this my own selfishness, but if you can carry this burden with me, then I would make your goal my own."

"What is that dream?" The man whispered softly.

"I want to save everyone. If you wish to follow me, then do so. I cannot promise that it will be a peaceful one. But I know that there is peace at the end of this path. I do not know when my journey will end, or if I will ever reach the end of my journey. Do you still wish to follow me?"

"Heh! Do you still have to ask? Take my wish as your own and I will make that burden of yours as mine."

"Before that could you tell me your name?"

"Name… It's been so long since someone has asked me that? Call me Takezou, Shinmen Takezou."

"You will not give me your other name?" Shirou stated knowingly.

"No, I won't. It is a matter of pride. I don't have the right to carry that name yet." The man took a more serious tone.

" _Let the_ ** _Law_** _be witness,_

 _If all holds this contract true_

 _The Overseer is the scribe,_

 ** _Reality's_** _fabric is his tablet._

 _No lie shall be spoken,_

 _But all truth shall be veiled_

 _On this day, I, a Heretic God of Steel,_

 _Hereby offer my subservience to the Dragon that sleeps in the East._

 _His dream shall be mine_

 _As my goal shall be his._

 _This I swear on_ ** _Void_** _._

 _This is my Oath, let the contract be written."_

The magus could feel it. A higher being intervening and a contract being written directly on his soul. Shirou almost panicked from the discomfort but he showed no sign of it. It reminded him too much of his contract with Alaya. He watched in fascination as incomprehensible writings that looked more like squiggles written by a child marked themselves on the Heretic God's body. The warrior held in the obvious pain that came with something binding his soul, Shirou could see the ronin's face gritting from the agony.

"So now… Haaaaaah, can I know the name of my Lord?"

"It's Emiya Shirou."

"Well then, Shirou-dono, shall we go meet your waiting mistresses?"

"They're not-"

"Mmm, mmmhh, I like you already!" A smiling Illya made her way to Shirou.

"My liege, are you alright?" The knight approached her Master obviously relieved. "Please let me take care of your injuries."

"I'm fine Haidee."Haidee gripped the large cut on Shirou's leg. "Ouch, argg-, okay please take a look at the wound." Shirou let the knight/maid to take a look at the cut. A medkit appeared in her hands, almost like magic. Where'd that come from? No wait, why was she wearing a maid outfit again?

"This will need a few stitches…" Haidee muttered to herself while inspecting the cut. "We'll have to get you home to treat this properly, Master."

"I apologize for the wound, Shirou-dono." The ronin pick the two blades and affixed them in his right.

"It's alright. And please stop calling me that Takezou-san. Just call me Shirou, and you don't need to be so formal with me." "Then stop being a hypocrite, Lord. Didn't we already agree that I'm gonna be serving you? Just call me Takezou then."

"Ahahaha, alright… But you nearly got me there Takezou; it's sometime since I've been able to fight like this."

"You are a skilled swordsman Shirou-dono, but can I ask you a question?" Shirou couldn't help but grimace at both the honorific and the disinfectant Haidee was applying on his leg.

"Go ahead."

"That sword style you had used, it looked familiar. Did anyone teach you that? Or had you learned it yourself?"

"Well…" He couldn't think of anything to say. "I guess I don't know." The blade existed in his unlimited bladeworks, it's memories, it material composition, the very idea existed within him. It was his ability that made it possible for him to mimic that sword style, but it was not his own.

The ronin raised an eyebrow at that. It was a rather pecuilar answer.

"Here Shirou, let me carry you. That wound's still hurting right?"

"It's-"He paused upon seeing the downtrodden look on Illya's face. He couldn't quite say no to that. "Alright, I guess. Can you wait for minute? I need to take care of that thing?"

"Let me take care if it for you Master, what is it?" Haidee offered to her Lord.

Shirou waved a hand in a gesture of refusal. He refused to show weakness in front of potential enemies. And that creature that had been spying on their little duel had been following the Heretic God since they left the book store. He had sense the hostility that the creature emitted. Whatever it was, it was neither human nor god.

"Trace on."

He uttered the aria out of habit, not out of necessity. A javelin of simple design formed in his hands. It was nameless D-rank Noble Phantasm, one of the blades from his infinite armory. Shirou reinforced his body further strengthening it. The release of the fifth level of his 'seal' was enough to improve his physical capabilities far beyond what a talented individual could achieve. Shirou bent his back in a pose to throw to the weapon then he threw it.

The projectile made a sound as it cleaved the air, it sped through the skies faster than a comet falling towards the earth. A clap of thunder was heard as the javelin hit bone and flesh, the target disintegrating within a shower of blood and feathers. The speed of the throw, the strength behind it and the accuracy to hit what couldn't be seen was impressive. The creature, a strange sort of familiar, was decimated.

Shirou would have been amused to see Haidee and Illya's slack jawed expressions if not for the circumstances behind it. The boy leaned on Illya for support again. The throw had taken him no effort, but Haidee had tied the knot too hard on his bandages.

"That was... impressive my Lord." Haidee bowed her head in shame, she had thought to offer help to her Master. But he had refused knowing that she was not up to the task. She despised her weakness.

Shirou looked towards the amused Heretic God.

"I thought you had wanted to leave that thing alone because you wanted them to know of you, seems like I was mistaken."

"No, you are right. But that creature was the eyes of another Heretic God. Whoever they are, they should have already seen the fight. That was merely for me to show them I knew they were there." It was in short, intimidation. He didn't like needless fighting and violence, and would rather prevent it by any means necessary. This one was a neccessity.

"Hehehe, and here I thought you you'd leave that to me." Shirou reinforced his eyes further and looked towards another direction; he raised a hand and waved.

The ronin directed his gaze towards where Shirou was waving, his eyes narrowing dangerously. He had expected a few Heretic Gods to be spectating in his match against his new Lord, but he had underestimated how deep some grudges could be held. He felt the presence of more than a few supernatural beings nearby during the course of their battle.

Some of this 'spectators' were probably expecting one of them to die; the other would then be too weakened from the battle. They would then swoop down like the vultures they were. His smile turned feral. He chuckled darkly to himself.

"Let's be off Shirou-dono, as much as I've want to have prolonged our fight, it has attracted too much attention." He looked towards the two females, his mouth quirking into a smirk. "And I doubt we'd have an easy time if those scavengers choose to attack, not with having these two ladies here."

"What are you implying mister? If you think I'm unable to take care of myself then how about I prove it to you?" Illya folded her arms over her chest not liking what the man was implying.

"Ah, a feisty one you got here my Lord."

"Come on Illya, let's get going. I'll let you have you Strawberry Vanilla Sundae for dessert?" Shirou placating held on to Illya.

"Really?" How could he say no to that face?

"Of course?"

"Yeay! You're the best Shirou. So, will you let me carry you now?"

"Alright…" He conceded, better to get out of here as the ronin suggested. He didn't want to have to deal with what they had attracted with both of him and the ronin throwing massive amounts of prana around.

"Ufufufufufu~." Illya giggled as she took a hold of him.

Shirou groaned in annoyance when the realization of what happened today hit him. He had battled against a Heretic God in an open field where anyone could have seen them. If that was not waving a flashlight in the dark wanting to found, then he didn't know what else it was.

He was confident that he could take care of himself and the people around him if it ever came to it. But what had happened just now might as well have wasted Lucretia's efforts of them keeping a low profile. How was he supposed to explain this to Lucretia when she came back?

"Right. Okay~. Here, here, hold on to Onee-chan tight 'kay? We'll get you home in no time." Shirou could only moan in distress.

* * *

-0-

"So what do you think Lancelot?

Guinevere thinks that that Dragon is dangerous." The child-like Divine Ancestor looked towards the retreating figures .

"So far, he has not made a move. I do not think that he will be a hindrance towards your plans. All that that Dragon has done is establish himself here. He does not seem to be as dangerous as the Campione, or those _things._ But it is always better to be prepared." The Divine Ancestor nodded at those words. "But aren't you showing more interest in him than necessary? Could it be that you are interested in the boy?"

"Stop with the teasing Sir Knight, I, Guinevere still has a duty to my King. It… it is true that the boy is interesting. He does not look that powerful on the surface but…" Guinevere suppressed the shudder that ran down her spine. She had nearly made a mistake of trying to kill the boy back then thinking that he was a weakened Heretic God of the Earth. The magic that she had felt within the boy was at the levels of a Divine Ancestor. Suffice to say, she was gravely mistaken.

At that time, Guinevere had set a trap to kill the boy. She did not know what magic the boy used, but she had thought that it was a great opportunity to use what magic remained in the boy to add to the contents of the Holy Grail. Maybe her mistake was using Lucretia as bait? It did lure the unsuspecting boy at that time, but it was not a weakened God that stepped into that trap. It was an enraged Dragon. The Dragon had then made short work of the spells that were enough to take down an average Divine Ancestor, it was not even enough to penetrate the Dragon's magic resistance.

She had profusely apologized to the Dragon after that by saying that she thought he was a weakened Heretic God. It was the truth after all. But she did not mention why she wanted to kill him if he was a weakened Heretic God.

"Sir Knight, do you think you can defeat the boy in a true battle?"

"If I were to fight that Dragon as I am now, I would probably lose. But if I were to truly emerge from my myth, then that would be another matter. I am a God of Steel, we were born to be the bane of serpents." There was confidence in there, but the Knight could not help but feel a little doubt. The boy or Dragon was not something that the Knight had ever encountered. There was also the strange feeling they felt after that last exchange between the rogue Heretic God and the boy. It felt like a dam had been released.

It was a similar feeling to when the boy had faced them down during that time a few weeks ago.

' _What is this emotion?'_

The knight questioned herself, it was a strange sensation. As a warrior, _he_ had been through countless battles. But this, this was new. It was like a being far beyond her was staring her down, it made _him_ feel weak. It made the warrior in _him_ thirst for a battle against that boy. For what reason? To prove that as a warrior, _he_ was not without a chance of victory. But there was a deeper reason to it, the base instinct of that most beings surrendered too. _He_ refused to acknowledge it. It was a lie.

There was also the fact that the boy was able to wield steel, an oddity that _he_ had never seen. The battle just then between that boy and the Heretic God proved that the boy could handle his own, though _he_ was very much sure that the Heretic God was holding back, a lot.

"That is reassuring Sir Knight. But why can you not fully emerge from you myth? The curse of madness is weakening, is it not? That strange Heretic God that bended the knee to the Dragon didn't seem to be affected by it?"

"Hahahaha, you overestimate me too much Guinevere. Though we are both Gods of Steel, that fellow has a stronger 'will' than I. Do you remember a warrior that our King has fought a long time ago, he was known as the 'Tiger who came from the East' back then."

"Eeeeehhh! That preposterous monster! You must be joking sir Knight. Though Guinevere does not remember most of the past, Guinevere still has a vague memory of that beast! Surely you are not saying that that Heretic God was that 'madman' from back then?! But… but… " A chuckle came from within the armor.

"Here I was thinking that you have forgotten your fear of that God. I was thinking that you had either grown braver or you had become more foolish when you told me that we would approach him. It is true that back then he was more of a wild beast than a Heretic God. But you're exaggerating Guinevere. I didn't even recognize that warrior because of the lack of bloodlust he was emitting, only when I had seen him battle did I remember." The child like goddess paled from what she heard.

"But, but, that couldn't have been him right. That beast would rather tear you apart than let you reason with him. That savage who fought against five Heretic Gods at that time and still won. If it was not for our King intervention, it would have become a bloodbath."

"There is a great difference in strength between us, I am no surely no match for that strange warrior. I do not know what that odd fellow is thinking of by serving that Dragon, but it would be better of you to not cause trouble in this place. He now serves that boy, and that boy has claimed this place as his territory. Only fools would come to this place to cause trouble."

The Knight could help but let loose a laugh at the mess that _his_ charge was in right now.

"Aaaauuuhh, what have I done? Here I thought that he had a grudge against that Dragon because he had asked immediately of his location when we found him. Now that Dragon is with that scary beast, Sir Knight, please carry me away from here. Guinevere is not feeling well right now." The Knight placed his hands on the girl's knees and shoulder. A small smile formed on the warrior's face, hidden by the helmet.

"Of course. The result was not what we had expected, but this has also provided us with some important information. So back to your base now?" The horse that had remained idle since a while ago moved towards it's rider offering the bridle.

"Aauuhh, yes please Sir Knight…" The Knight could feel the child like body shivering in _his_ arms. Did she really fear that Heretic God that much?

The two rode off towards a waiting portal. But that was not before the Knight could utter a few words.

"The 'Tiger of that comes from the East' kneeling to the 'sleeping Dragon who was born from the west'…"

* * *

-0-

"Are you done yet?" Shirou waited patiently for Illya to finish her daily checkup on his seal. The fight yesterday was the first time that it had been tested for battle. There was an oval symbol on Shirou's belly. The seal only became visible with specific application of prana on his body.

Runic markings and hieroglyphs were on Shirou's chest. It was something almost similar to a magical crest but having different functions. It was a sealing matrix. Though it was still a prototype, it was working quite well for the most part.

" _It seems to be functioning as expected."_ A voice echoed in Shirou's mind.

Gaericus had helped out for the most part by giving him the blueprint for that seal. 'She' had called the seal, the Divine Sealing Chains. It did feel like a chain for the most part. According to Gaericus, it had nine parts. Each part of the seal was lock. But each part didn't seal exact amounts. For example, the ninth level of the seal locked away half of his true capabilities. The eight level seal locked away half of what the ninth did, and so it went down to the first level of the seal.

But the seal didn't exactly just lock away his prana. No, it sealed away his draconic heritage.

The astronomical growth of his power also enhanced the urges the 'Curse of the Seven Sins'. It had nearly driven him insane back then. He did not want to know what would have happened if he had let the urges rampage. He could have destroyed a city with ease. Luckily, Gaericus was there to restrain him. He had underestimated the power he could gain by having the blood of an Ancient Dragon flowing through his veins.

As a rule, the more a phantasmal being aged, the more powerful it was. More so for dragons, which were the very symbols of phantasmal species. Gaericus was a dragon that lived for countless eons, and an eon equaled one billion years in Earth's time scale. Who knew how power she truly was.

"Well, I don't think it was damaged in any way… But you still need to be careful Shirou. You still don't have full control of that power you know." Illya slid down the shirt down his body.

"Thanks again Illya. I really appreciate this."

"Hmm, hmm~. Anything for Shirou of course, what kind of Onee-chan would I if I didn't spoil you?"

"Ahahaha… Alright, now what was that commotion this morning about?"

"Oh that? Don't worry about that. Sebastian has made a call to the mansion back in France telling them of our need for people to maintain this house. They should have arrived this morning."

"Why'd you have to buy such a large house in the first place… Something the size of our home back in Fuyuki would have been more than enough." Shirou could feel a bit of nostalgia with those words. Home. How was his family back home?

"But don't forget about your next checkup on Sunday Shirou. I'm still trying to figure out how that seal thing on you works. It's really complex you know? I wonder if I can tamper with it so that I can make it my 'Shirou is mine' mark?"

Were some animals prone to leaving their marks on their property? Shirou could feel his sweat drop at that. Really now? Where had that thought come from.

" _Females are intrinsically attracted to strong males, and you are a potentially strong mate. That is a basic instinct amongst all beasts. Humans are no different. What emotions she feels towards you might have been distorted thereby causing her to feel possessive of you."_ Gaericus' voice resounded in his mind again.

" _Did you read my mind or something?"_ He joked lightly.

" _Do you doubt my words_ _, Hero? Why you should be thanking this Empress instead with how I am offering my guidance to one such as you._ "

"Right, right. That doesn't reassure me in the slightest though; it sounds almost the same to me…" Shirou got off the low bed and made his way toward the door, a slight limp visible from his gait.

"But is your leg alright Shirou?" Illya looked at him worriedly.

"Its fine Illya and I thought you were going out to recheck the maid uniforms you ordered? You told me Sebastian had asked for servants from the main house?" The 'main house' as they Sebastian referred to was the Victorian mansion that Illya had in France. She was supposedly reincarnated as the next family Head of a noble house. How did that work?

"Right. I also forgot to mention this, but Sebastian received a call this morning of the approval of your enrolment at a nearby school. You're going to start attending on Monday, don' forget Shirou."

"Okay…" He could not help but feel a little annoyance at that. Why did he have agree to that in the first place…

Shirou's thoughts turned towards another direction. Hopefully, Haidee's errand wouldn't turn out to become another mess as he was expecting it to become. But it with his luck, Murphy's Law was bound to screw him three times over.

He had asked her to find out if there were any mages in the area. He didn't know how things worked out in this world, but it was always good to establish good relationships with the local magic population. He wasn't sure what it was, but he had sensed a Clairvoyance spell being used when he had battled against the Heretic God.

He knew that the descent of such being like the Heretic Gods would become a more common occurrence. He wanted to establish working relationships with whatever mage organization was in this city. The first step would of course be inviting them to his home. He could try to seek them out instead but something was stopping him from making that decision.

It was a lot of help that some of the maids from Illya's employ would be arriving tomorrow. It was a much needed help. Besides the fact that he wouldn't be able to fix the house to make a receptive welcome to his expected guests, it was getting harder to keep everything clean around the house by himself.

The distant rumble of construction machinery could be heard as Shirou walked towards the location of his room. Another thing was, Illya had thought it was necessary to build a 'base of operations' as she called it for a soon to be born animation company. She had deemed it an essential necessity to nourish the growth of all thing related to anime. 'What better start than to establish an animation studio?', she said.

It got Illya off his back for the better part of the last few months, so maybe it was a good thing. How'd she get the money to start something like this anyway? Oh right, she was the heiress of more than a millennia noble old blood line.

* * *

-0-

"So it is true…" There was a hint of mixture fear, excitement and shock on the voice.

"It was confirmed by one of our informers from Europe, the boy is- was a human." Hayama Tadaoki, the current head of the Intelligence Sector of the History Compilation Committee, held a folder in one hand and gestured with his other hands towards the pictures of a boy.

A projector was being used to show various images of a certain red-headed magus. There were five people inside the room, all of them focused on the implications of what they had all just heard.

Four of this people were the leaders to the 'Four Families', the chief executives of the History Compilation Committee. Seishuuin, Kuhoutsuka, Renjou, Sayanomiya - these are the four ancient families that have been using their magical powers to serve the emperors over the ages. Their duties now being the job of keeping the magical world hidden from the public.

Amongst them, the Seishuuin were distinguished by battle strength and political power, while the Sayanomiya has formed the core think tank of the History Compilation Committee. The Renjou were the ones who led and conducted field operations which included media manipulation and information control. The Kuhoutsuka were arguably the wealthiest among the Four Families and funded most of the organizations spending.

At the moment, the heads of the Four Families were in complete shock from the news they had received.

"This is, this is just absurd." One of them spoke up to break the silence.

"It is as you say Renjou-san, but the glaring evidence says otherwise. There is a Campione residing in Tokyo right now and it is only a matter of time before he reveals himself." The Sayanomiya head affirmed.

This invoked a long suffering sigh from the oldest person in the room, the leader of the Seishuuin family.

"This is unexpected. Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought that I would see this day. A Campione who has taken Japan as his territory. What's more, a Campione who has taken in a Heretic God under his wing…?"

They were all panicking when they had first heard the news that there had been a battle between a Campione and a Heretic God too near a major city. But they were stunned to mind numbing disbelief when they had gathered information on what had happened. There had been next to no clues on the battle aside from a vision from a Hime-Miko residing in the city.

" _The Strongest Swordsman of the East_

 _Undefeated he left this lands,_

 _But none he found worthy of his blade_

 _A rogue, who serves none no longer…"_

This were the words that Hime-Miko had supposedly uttered when she saw the vision.

"If this really is true, then what do you suppose we should do? We cannot simply approach him, he may look like a boy but for all we know, this might as well be an effect of his Authority. Depending on what the Campione does, we can only do so much but try to prevent the least damage if he decides to destroy Tokyo because we displeased him. This is a King we are talking about." The head to the Kuhoutsuka family, spoke up.

"Hayama-san, do you have more information about the new King aside from this?" They all stared at the man who nervously wiped the sweat from his brow. It had only been a week ago since he had taken the office as chief of the Intelligence Sector, how did things become so hard for him.

He had been enjoying the quite reprieve of analyzing reports from the foreign branches when one of his subordinates had barged into his office and dropped the news on him yesterday. Now, the entire office was probably in a state of chaos from the rush to gather as much information as they could about the newly identified Campione. Which was nothing. All that they had been able to gather was that the boy was thought to be the Witch of Sardinia's student.

Further digging had given them nothing else. Someone was purposely withholding information about the boy. That was the conclusion they had come to. With the distrust between magical associations, they were not able to glean data aside from the fact that the boy was a supposed victim of a city wide fire incident.

"Well, uh sir-"

The stuttering man stopped mid-sentence when he sensed something behind him. He turned towards the source only to stumble back.

In front of them a figure who was figure wreathed in shadows, seemingly melding with the flickering darkness that took the room.

The Four Family heads stood up from their chairs warily.

"Greetings, if I may ask, are you the leaders the History Compilation Committee?" The delicate feminine voice contrasted with the eerie aura the figure exuded. They could not see her face because of the shadow that seemed to consume the figure like a fire, but what little they could make out was the black and white maid uniform that adorned a young woman's body. On the young woman's right arm was a large armblade that dripped the strange shadow that covered the woman.

"Who are you?! How did you get here?!" The panicked Kutsouka head shouted at the figure.

"Hmmp, you do not need to know my name. But my Lord and Master has ordered me to make contact with the area's mages association. He wishes to… establish a relationship with you." The last words were said forcefully, as if she found the very idea contemptible. Because it was.

To Haidee, a very loyal Knight, it was supposed to be the mages of this country who were to approach her Lord. If anything, her Master should be demanding their subservience. She did not hate her Master's orders, in fact she was happy that her Master had ordered her to do something for once. But the very notion of a person as powerful as her Master asking to establish a relationship of equal status with a mage association of a backwater country in the mage arts…

She could not think that her master was insulted in some way. She was used to a world where the strong took what they wanted from the weak. For someone like her Master, who was on par in power with Heretic Gods and Campiones, to lower himself to make contact with an organization of mere mages? It confounded her. All too often, she had witnessed those who had power flaunt it with unrestrained arrogance.

But all this did not matter in the end, she was given her orders. She would follow it. Haidee looked towards the images being flashed by the projector. Her eyes narrowing, 'how were this vermin able to get a hold of those pictures'?

Within the blink of an eye, she was within their range. The space she was previously in distorted briefly before returning to its stable state. She swiftly stabbed the armblade through the machine making it crackle with the broken wires. With the only source of light in the room extinguished, the room was engulfed by darkness.

"I will say this only once, **you will leave my Master alone**. My master has so graciously ordered me to invite you to his home. Chose a representative amongst you, an ambassador. See to it that whoever is to be sent to my Master's home is competent enough. He does not have the need to waste his time with you lot. Why my master has even assumed to extend an olive branch towards you is a mystery to me... but we shall be expecting you nonetheless..."

The light's returned temporarily blinding the people in the room. When they opened their eyes, the room was a mess. Most of the documents that were previously in the room, were either missing or in shreds.

"Who… was that?" The question was posed by one of the quivering family heads. Was that an illusion, a dream? Unlikely evidenced by the all too threat that was embedded to the wall. It was a map of Tokyo with a few daggers pinpointing a few locations around the city. Some of those locations were areas designated for bases and safe houses in use by the Four Families. More so because some of those locations pinpointed were from 'sensitive' information.

If what they heard was right, then the master that the demon or whatever it was that 'thing' was referring to would be the new Campione. Whoever or whatever that was, it had so easily infiltrated the most guarded place in their headquarters and had just left them a message, an invitation.

Aki Sayanomiya, Matriarch and leader of the Sayanomiya clan raised a hand to gather their attention.

"Gentlemen, if you would be so inclined, then I would nominate myself as the Ambassador to this new Campione." The bold declaration earned the middle aged woman a few startled remarks.

"You-"

"You can't be serious there Sayanomiya-san?"

"What better way to gather information on this new Campione than to meet him directly? Besides, I was a trained to be Hime-Miko before becoming the Head of my family. Wouldn't you say that I'm more than qualified for this? I've prepared contingencies for these kinds of situations and already chosen my heir if it ever came to that…" The woman argued. There was a slight grin to her face, unlike the grimace and frowns sported by her fellow equals.

"If that is your choice, then so be it. But be warned, I will not be taking responsibility for your actions this time, Sayanomiya-san."

"Of course Seishuuin-san. I will be going, not as a representative of the History Compilation Committee but as the head of my house."

Which meant that she was not going to be the official Ambassador, just an envoy meant to visit this new Campione. Whatever argument the two family Heads had died in their throats. That was a welcome compromise. They were afraid to suggest a representative of their own in case that whatever mistake the representative did would be reflected on them. This was caution exercised to farcical degree that it could even be called cowardice. But that was how they had been able to survive this long, by heading their heads in the sand when trouble came for them.

Sayanomiya couldn't blame them for their flaw. She had gotten used to his colleagues complacency. They never did have an active approach when dealing with entities of this level, that may have been because of inexperience. After all, there had been no Campione in the Japan for more than a few centuries. But she did not want that as an excuse. She had heard of 'The Prophecy of the End of Eras', what the implications of that prophecy outright terrified her. War between beings of great power would be waged.

What would happen to those who had no one to protect them? What would happen to the lands not inhabited by a Demon King, a Godslayer, and a Campione. Would they be crushed in the struggle between whatever war was to occur? She could not allow that to happen.

"Then you will be on your own in this Sayanomiya-san."

"That's what I said Kuhoutsuka-san. But in return for me going there as only a representative of my Family, I would like to ask a favor of you Seishuuin-san. Because I won't be the only one benefitting if I have gained the Campione's favor." The message was clear, if she was successful, then they would have connections with a Campione. Not only her, but the connections would be established to the organization itself. That would enable them to gather more influence, more power. But she would be the only one taking the brunt of the fallout if she failed.

Seishuuin stared at the woman. There was resolve in her eyes. They both knew what it was about because they had been the only ones who had been preparing since that 'Prophecy'.

She walked towards the map cushioned with daggers and took one of them. The rest watched on in bafflement at the action until she left the room in silence

The head of the Seishuuin family approached the map to take a closer look at what she had removed. When he turned around, there was a resigned smile on his face.

"That cunning woman, when had she gotten more reckless than me…?"

To appease the Campione, she had most likely thought of brining him a gift. A gift of value so great that he should be unable to refuse and maybe, just maybe, the Campione would grant them his blessing. The Campione were a hard bunch to satisfy, history had showed them that. But what the removed dagger signified was a location, the location of one of the Imperial Regalia that was given to the Sayanomiya family to protect. But that treasure was currently in the hands of the Seishuuin family.

The Seishuuin head did not understand what favor she was asking for, but he knew what she was about to do. Appeasing a Campione…

* * *

Omake

A white haired woman nervously opened the door to a room. Illya was euphoric. At long last, she had found her 'Onii-chan'. She peeked though the door to look inside.

"Shirou."

"Illya?"

"Shirou."

"Illya!?"

"Shirou."

"Huh, yes?" The little magus could not help but feel a shiver run down his spine at Illya's reddening face. It was not anger, he was sure of it. Because Illya was almost drooling and her pupils reshaped themselves into heart shapes. Don't ask how that was physically possible because he didn't know too. There was one thing that was clear to Shirou right, he should either escape, or suffer a fate worse than eating the biological weapon called Saber's cooking.

Shirou moved ever so slowly away from the drooling Illya. He was almost to the window when a half naked Lucretia entered the bedroom, her hair wet from a bath.

"Shirou… let's go to bed."

She was followed by a blonde little girl wearing her thin sleepwear.

"I want to sleep with my future husband!"

"Oh shit." Those were his last words as a murderous Illya appeared behind him. She might as well be the very image of a death posing as yandere, complete with a kitchen knife set of course.

"Shirou-kyun~. Please tell me what's going on right now, or I'll make sure Rin and Aoko get's to know of this. Now~. You even have a loli wife! I thought you said you didn't like lolis Shirou-kyun~. Ufufufufufufufu~."

And the next twenty four hours would be buried deep within Shirou's memories in a box called 'never to see the light of day'.

* * *

-0-

"Nooooooooo!"

"Husband! Are you alright!?"

Two voices shouted simultaneously. A certain reincarnated Hero climbed unsteadily to his feet. He grabbed the nearby stair handrail for support, his feet wobbled as he stood. He had accidentally rolled down the stairs after two girls tried to pull his arms apart. At least one of them acted like a child.

"I'm fine..." Though he was not, Shirou rubbed his head. A headache was already forming.

"Huh? Illya? Ali-"He was interrupted before he could finish. The two females rushed down the stairs to make sure he was alright.

"Husband, I thought I told you to call me darling!" A girl with platinum blonde hair grabbed him into her arms as she glared cutely at Shirou.

"His not your husband! He's my _mini_ Shirou!" A white haired lady pulled his other arm while shouting proudly.

"He is my fiancé!" The child pulled him back again.

"No! Mine!" The older female pulled again.

"Mine!"

"Mine!

"MINE!"

"MINE!"

Shirou groaned as he was pulled from two sides. How did this happen again? Oh, right. He was supposed to have the best or the worst of luck. Illya? Though he had not heard the details yet, she was here. And she also looked older. The blonde little girl calling herself as his _fiancée_? It was all one big misunderstanding. The culprit was currently enjoying the comedy drama. Said culprit was also in a chair enjoying a nice cup of tea while being served by a butler who was preparing biscuits at the moment.

"As Shirou's onee-chan! I will not allow you to marry him." Illya was finally able to take hold of Shirou and was holding him to her in a death grip.

"Illya... can't breathe!" The red head tried squirming only to be squeezed further into Illya's bosom. Illya had breasts now. And she was trying to kill him with it. Oh joy! That was the last thing he could remember before he fainted. Again.

"Shirou are you alright?" Illya took a look at the boy.

"Now look what you did." The little girl kneeled beside the boy.

"No look what you did!"

"Nuh-uh it was your fault."

"Illya-sama…The boy, please let me take him to the infirmary."

"Ah! Sebastian I choose you, use Heal."

"Hey that's unfair."

"No it's not."

"Great Knight-sama! I choose you! How about that."

"What is it Lady Louise?"

"Eeehh? Hrrmmm… Ah, BERSERKER! KILL!"

A massive thirteen foot tall giant appeared beside Illya.

"Roooooaaaaaarrrr!"

(I stopped writing this before it could degenerate any further into a bloody nonsensical omake. Lol.)

* * *

-0-

-0-

A.N.

Okay… so I'll try to get a balance between making this both light and dark. A good challenge. My excus- ahem* reasons for the late release? A lot, but no one wants to hear that. So I can only apologize. I'm sorry for that. I broke a promise this time, purposely.

Also... Okay, I know I skipped an entire chapter's worth of story. Some of you did mention it. But I wanted to shorten it so that I could get nearer to the main plot already. I'm getting some pressure from… someone for that. Lol. Sorry~. The skipped chapter would probably be worth two chapters or so. It's just that, the kidnapped theme would be overused then. It's hard deciding things… I did mention in previous notes that some scenes wouldn't make it. But I didn't think it was that large a scene I was skipping, now that I think about it.

So to summarize it in one word. I fcked up. Sorry bout that, again. That's why I feel like bashing my head against the nearest solid structure for the nth time this week.

After long and hard contemplation, I've decided to pace the story slower. So all the timeline plans I've had noted before will most likely change. I want to go at a more sedate pace, it would give me time to get everyone adjusted with the mob of O.C.s I'm introducing. And of course to acquaint you all to the world I'm makin. I also found it stifling to establish a timeline. One of the things I'm learning as a writer, it's better to write as you want. Not like this.

Oh, and there will be probably be some confusion here. But Guinevere was not the one who told 'Takezou' about Shirou first. Also, Alipheese the Sixteenth, the current Monster Lord, is different from Alice Louise, the future 'Greatest Witch under the Heavens'. To make it easier:

Alice in this chapter, is Alice Lousie, the future leader of the Witenagemot.

Alipheese Fateburn XVI, is the current Monster Lord. She's also nicknamed 'Alice' for short. I'll avoid using the nickname so as to prevent confusion, though I'll still use it the future.

Woah, was little spoiler in there? :3 But that's what happened in the canon anyways. Who know's what'll change here.

-The fight scene was short. I know it was. But I guess I don't want to reveal too much right now either.

-Sasaki Kojirou was noted to be the _greatest in pure swordsmanship_ among the Heroic Spirits summoned during the Fifth Holy Grail War. Not the most powerful, see the italics? Yep, so I wrote this note down unless someone argued with the words used otherwise.

Note: This wouldn't end in a mass Harem. I'm taking notes from Rance game series and limiting Shirou's 'fated' ones to seven women.

Quoting directly from AliceSoftWikia "certain individuals are claimed by a God to be fated to each other and will eventually, regardless their circumstances, accept each other."

Again, please review. It would be appreciated.


End file.
